Deadly Encounter ~ Review

Deadly Encounter
FBI Task Force 1
By DiAnn Mills

It was a normal Saturday morning when Stacy Broussard came across a murder scene. A scene which demands the attention of the FBI.  Unfortunately for Stacy the lead agent is Alex LeBlanc, a somewhat brusque and suspicious person, who immediately annoys her with his line of questioning.  

Alex has reasons for his approach and he isn't about to repeat the mistakes of the past. But the facts in this case just don't seem to be adding up to what evidence they have. Is this a case of domestic terrorism interrupted or some thing far more sinister?

The clock is ticking in more ways than one and time is of the essence if they hope to stop what is coming.  Trust is a premium that they can't afford to misplace as they work their way through the various and intertwining layers that have them looking at everyone twice.

The basic overall story is excellent.  At times the lead characters Stacy and Alex can feel flat in their talking, but I'm assuming they are meant to come across this way as they both are weighing everything they say and do.  Whitt adds an additional dimension as he struggles to deal with his ever absent parents and accept the love and comfort Stacy offers him.  He is truly a person caught in the middle.  And his care of Xena, an injured dog from the crime scene, is touching.

Fans of Dee Henderson's newest books, who have never read DiAnn Mills previously, would likely enjoy this book. This is a story of broken people seeking healing, who have to face what has been broken and find hope in the tomorrow that is coming. And something about Stacy reminds me of Ann.

I was provided a copy of this book by Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.



About the Book:
Airport Ranger volunteer Stacy Broussard expected a peaceful Saturday morning ride around the perimeter of Houston’s airport. What she encounters instead is a brutal homicide and a baffling mystery. Next to the body is an injured dog, the dead man’s motorcycle, and a drone armed with a laser capable of taking down a 747.

Though FBI Special Agent Alex LeBlanc sees a clear-cut case of terrorism, his past has taught him to be suspicious of everyone, even witnesses. Even bleeding-heart veterinarians like Stacy. But when her gruesome discovery is only the first in a string of incidences that throw her life into a tailspin, Alex begins to wonder if Stacy was targeted. As a health emergency endangers Stacy’s community, and the task force pulls in leads from all directions, Alex and Stacy must work together to prevent another deadly encounter.

Take a sneak peak of Chapter 1.

About the Author:

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She combines unforgettable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels.

Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne du Maurier, Inspirational Reader's Choice, and Carol Award contests. Library Journal presented her with a Best Books 2014: Genre Fiction award in the Christian fiction category for Firewall.

DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, International Thriller Writers, and the Faith, Hope, and Love chapter of Romance Writers of America. She is the co-director of The Author Roadmap with social media specialist Edie Melson where she continues her passion of helping other writers be successful. She also speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country.

DiAnn has been termed a coffee snob and roasts her own beans. She's an avid reader, loves to cook, and believes her grandchildren are the smartest kids in the universe. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.

DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers online.

Want to connect with DiAnn Mills online?  Check-out this links:

-          Author’s Official Blog/Newsletter:     http://www.diannmills.com/articles/

-          Facebook:              https://www.facebook.com/diannmills        

-          Twitter:                   https://twitter.com/diannmills    

-          Pinterest:               http://pinterest.com/diannmills/

-          Goodreads:            http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/81639.DiAnn_Mills

-          YouTube:                http://www.youtube.com/user/diannmills

-          LinkedIn:                http://www.linkedin.com/in/diannmills/

Honor Redeemed ~ Review

Honor Redeemed
Keys of Promise #2
By Christine Johnson

Two years ago Prosperity Jones said goodbye to her fiance Lieutenant David Latham.  She had his promise of marriage upon his return.  But with her parents both dead Prosperity determines that she will join him in Key West.  She was sure of David's love and that they soon would marry and start their life together.

But David has had a dramatic change in circumstances, one which Prosperity had no idea was coming.  Can the betrayal to her heart ever be overcome?  And with limited means how can she ever hope to survive this newest loss.  Relying on the charity of strangers is something she is unwilling to do.

But a chance encounter with Elizabeth O'Malley (whom was introduced in Love's Rescue) gives Prosperity a new friend and a place to call home if only temporarily. As Prosperity deals with the loss of her hopes and dreams she finds some small comfort in working at the local hospital in the laundry and learning about local plants and their medicinal value from Doctor Goodenow.  Can Prosperity find happiness with a man of science rather than the man that has held her heart for so many years?

Honor Redeemed is the second delightful book in the Key of Promise series and is as emotionally charged as the first. The characters are identifiable and can be empathized with as one can see the story from each character's viewpoint. One can't help admiring Elizabeth even more in this book her kindness and level-headed approach offer the stability that the others need during this time of trial and turbulence.  Take a step back in time to 1852 Key West you won't regret it.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher Revell in exchange for my honest review.


About the Book:

Her future--and her heart--hang in the balance.

Two years ago, Prosperity Jones waved farewell to her beloved David as the army sent him to faraway Key West. Now with her parents gone, she has but one prospect for the future: make the dangerous journey from Nantucket to Key West to reunite with David and secure a happier life.

But when Prosperity arrives penniless in the South, she is dismayed to find David has not been eagerly awaiting their reunion. In fact, he is married to someone else. Scrambling to survive and nursing a broken heart, Prosperity gains the friendship--and the affection--of a kind doctor. Could he be the answer to her loneliness? Or will her life be upended by circumstance yet again?

With a deft hand, Christine Johnson fills the senses with the sights, sounds, and smells of Key West in this heartwarming story of honor lost, honor redeemed, and a love forged in adversity.

Baseball’s Dynasties and the Players Who Built Them ~ Book Blast with Excerpt

Baseball’s Dynasties 
          and the 
Players Who Built Them

By Jonathan Weeks

About the Book:

Title: Baseball’s Dynasties and the Players Who Built Them

Author: Jonathan Weeks

Publisher: Rowan and Littlefield

Pages: 408

Genre: Sports History

Baseball has had its fair share of one-and-out champions, but few clubs have dominated the sport for any great length of time. Given the level of competition and the expansive length of the season, it is a remarkable accomplishment for a team to make multiple World Series appearances in a short timespan. From the Baltimore Orioles of the 1800s who would go to any length to win—including physically accosting opponents—to the 1934 Cardinals known as the “Gashouse Gang” for their rough tactics and determination, and on to George Steinbrenner’s dominant Yankees of the late twentieth century, baseball’s greatest teams somehow found a way to win year after year.

Spanning three centuries of the game, Baseball’s Dynasties and the Players Who Built Them examines twenty-two of baseball’s most iconic teams. Each chapter not only chronicles the club’s era of supremacy, but also provides an in-depth look at the players who helped make their teams great. Nearly two hundred player profiles are included, featuring such well-known stars as Joe DiMaggio, Jackie Robinson, Sandy Koufax, and Pete Rose, as well as players who were perhaps overshadowed by their teammates but were nonetheless vital to their team’s reign, such as Pepper Martin, Allie Reynolds, and George Foster.

With a concluding chapter that profiles the clubs that were on the cusp of greatness, Baseball’s Dynasties and the Players Who Built Them is a fascinating survey of what makes some teams dominate year after year while others get only a small taste of glory before falling to the wayside. Written in a lively style with amusing anecdotes and colorful quotes, this comprehensive book will be of interest to all fans and historians of baseball.

For More Information:

• Baseball’s Dynasties and the Players Who Built Them is available at Amazon.
• Pick up your copy at Barnes and Noble.

About the Author:

Weeks spent most of his life in the Capital District area of New York. He earned a degree in psychology from SUNY Albany. In 2004, he migrated to Malone, NY. He continues to gripe about the frigid winter temperatures to the present day. A member of the Society for American Baseball Research, he writes about the game because he lacked the skill to play it professionally. He still can't hit a curve ball or lay off the high heat. Baseball’s Dynasties is his fourth nonfiction work.

For More Information

• Visit Jonathan Weeks’ website.
• Connect with Jonathan on Facebook and Goodreads.

Book Excerpt:

With a roster full of superstars, the Orioles captured three straight pennants from 1894–1896. They followed with a pair of near misses, placing second in 1897 and 1898. Along the way, they developed a reputation as one of the nastiest teams in baseball. John Heydler, an umpire who would later ascend to the NL presidency, described the Orioles of the 1890s as “mean, vicious, ready at any time to maim a rival player or an umpire.” Infielder John McGraw was proud of that distinction. “We’d go tearing into a bag with flying spikes as though with murderous intent,” he boasted. “We were a cocky, swashbuckling crew and wanted everybody to know it.”

Pirates great Honus Wagner manufactured a tall tale about a harrowing trip around the bases against the Orioles. After driving a ball deep into the outfield, he claimed to have been tripped at first base by Jack Doyle and then knocked flat by Hughie Jennings at second. Climbing to his feet, he lumbered toward third, only to find John McGraw holding a shotgun on him. “You stop right there!” McGraw allegedly bellowed. Although Wagner’s story is obviously apocryphal, numerous reliable accounts confirm the fact that the Orioles resorted to underhanded tactics regularly. When they weren’t physically accosting opponents, they were treating them to streams of verbal abuse. Baltimore players were so free in their use of profanity that a resolution was adopted in 1898, imposing mandatory expulsions upon anyone using “villainously foul” language.

Even the groundskeepers at Baltimore were deceitful. Soap flakes were mixed with the soil around the pitcher’s mound to make the hands of opposing hurlers slippery when they reached into the dirt.  Orioles moundsmen knew to keep untainted soil in their pockets. The infield was mixed with clay and rarely watered, creating a surface not unlike cement. Baltimore players chopped down on the ball, creating dramatically high hops that gave them a head start to first base (hence, the origin of the term Baltimore chop). The outfield was ruddy and riddled with weeds. Outfielders allegedly kept extra balls hidden out there in the event that the ones in play eluded them.

What Matters Most ~ Review

What Matters Most
Texas Gold Collection #4
By Kellie Coated Gilbert

Leta Breckenridge gave up her dreams for the future to care for her mother. Unfortunately even though she has the skills needed to perform any number of jobs, without a degree that she couldn't afford Leta's future looks bleak.  With money tight, Leta has no hope of holding even much less getting ahead where her finances are concerned.  So a temporary position at local PR firm seems like a gift.

An unexpected friendship with up-and-coming Nathan Emerson is a pleasant surprise in Leta's life. With her personal life taking a back-seat to real life, he could be the one. Just one problem, everyone expects Nate to run for governor of Texas and a life in the political spotlight has never been on Leta's to-do list. And then there is the highly professional lawyer he's been dating for the last couple years.

But when Leta unexpectedly gets caught up in the other side of the political world she is about to experience a world few have or ever would want to experience.

Of all the books in the Texas Gold Collection I really think that this one is my favorite.  Leta is someone I could identify with - her struggles to make ends meet, her love and care of her mother, and her inner struggle to do what was right.  Nate was the kind of politician I think we would all like to see run.

Fans of Kelly Coates Gilbert will enjoy this newest offering from her. If you haven't read her work before don't worry this series is stand-alone, the only common factor in this series is the setting - Texas.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher Revell in exchange for my honest review.

About the Book:

Just when she can't take it anymore, Leta finally catches a break. 

But when things seem too good to be true, 

they often are.

Finding her dream job went right out the window when Leta Breckenridge had to quit school to help care for her mother suffering from dementia. When a delinquent account may force her mother into a less desirable facility, Leta is thrilled to land a high-paying job at an Austin public relations firm. But her seemingly ideal job turns into a nightmare when she learns the firm is a front for a political opposition organization--and that the research she's been collecting will be used against Nathan Emerson, the handsome senator she's swiftly falling in love with.

Nathan is a rising political star being pressured to run a bid to unseat the current governor of Texas. He's already in a relationship with a woman much better suited to be a politician's wife, but he's never met anyone like Leta. Could this feisty woman hold the key to his heart--and his future?

With emotional depth and keen insight into what drives us, Kellie Coates Gilbert offers a salient story that calls us to consider what we value most in this life.

God Bless America ~ Reveiw

God Bless America
A Patriotic Coloring Book

This is a truly interesting coloring book with its patriotic theme.  There are quotes from well-known Americans and statements of nationalistic significance incorporated within the assorted pictures.  And in my opinion an even greater attribute is the back of the coloring page explains the importance of this statement or quote and credits the artist who created the scene.

Adult coloring has become an almost instant hobby, but this book can be even more than just another title on the list of to-color-books.  This would be an excellent addition to the American History class that is looking for a new way to garner student attention.

The level of coloring skill needed varies as there are pages perfect for almost any age while others would demand a greater attention to detail with the fineness of detail portrayed.  The statements are taken from the Bible, the Founding Fathers, and persons of more recent history (such as Neil Armstrong and  Rosa Parks).

This would be a delightful peak of American history to give as a gift or explore yourself.  Enjoy a quiet afternoon reveling in the joys of coloring.  This paper is a heavier quality that should take most coloring mediums and the pages are perforated so removing them is not an impossible chore.

I was provided a copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.



About the Book:
Return to simple pleasures and simpler times.
Enter the pages of this coloring book for adults, and you will find a peaceful way to reflect on what makes America a truly amazing country: our values of equality, opportunity, faith,family, character, generosity, justice, and perseverance. Each coloring page features an original design from one of nine different artists, illustrating an inspirational quote from one of the Founding Fathers, an historic document, a patriotic hymn, or another of America’s heroes.

Slow down, quiet the noise, and express creativity as you color your way through history.

So grab your colored pencils or markers, find a comfortable spot to relax, and spend some time celebrating America. To help set the perfect patriotic mood, a link to the “Coloring America” playlist is included inside.

#COLORINGAMERICA

The Lost Heiress ~ Review

The Lost Heiress
Ladies of the Manor #1
By Roseanna M. White

Brook Eden has only ever wanted to belong.  And when a recently discovered letter hints at where to start looking her dearest friend Justin Wildon undertakes the mission for her.  Uncovering the truth of who Brook is the perfect gift Justin can give her.

But good news is mixed with tragedy for both Brook and Justin as they leave Monaco behind for Yorkshire. A mysterious tragedy tore Brook from the arms of her family and now her return is looked upon with suspicion.

As Brook settles into this new and unknown life Justin must settle into his new role as he deals with a long hidden family secret.  Will these new roles drive these two close friends apart or lead them to something more than friendship?  As the Baroness of Berkeley, Brook has suddenly become the most sought after lady of the season, but what does she want?

All too soon dances and dresses are the last thing on Brook's mind when the mystery surrounding her mother's death comes for her.  Will the long lost heiress soon be another tragedy?  Or will those closest to her thwart the evil that seeks her?

Historical fiction with a generous dash of mystery and romance will appeal to many readers.  And at times you'll feel like giving both Brook and Justin a good hard shake.

I was provided a copy of this book through TBCN/BookFun in exchange for my honest review.

About the Book (448 pages):

Brook Eden has never known where she truly belongs. When her friend Justin uncovers the fact that she is possibly a missing heiress from Yorkshire, Brook leaves the sun of the Mediterranean to travel to the moors of the North Sea and the estate of her supposed family. 

The mystery of her mother's death haunts her, and though her father is quick to accept her, the rest of the family and the servants of Whitby Park are not. Only when Brook's life is threatened do they draw close--but will their loyalty come too late to save Brook from the same threat that led to tragedy for her mother? 

As heir to a dukedom, Justin is no stranger to balancing responsibilities. When the matters of his estate force him far from Brook, the distance between them reveals that what began as friendship has grown into something much more. But how can their very different loyalties and responsibilities ever come together?

And then for a second time, the heiress of Whitby Park is stolen away because of the very rare treasure in her possession--and those who can save her still aren't sure whom to trust.

About the Author:

Roseanna M. White pens her novels beneath her Betsy Ross flag, with her Jane Austen action figure watching over her. When not writing fiction, she's homeschooling her two children, editing and designing, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of nine novels, ranging from biblical fiction to American-set romances to her new British series. Roseanna lives with her family in West Virginia. Learn more at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.

Rising Darkness ~ Review

Rising Darkness
Finding Sanctuary #3
By Nancy Mehl

Sophie Bauer has left her past and the pain and shame behind, at least she's working on it. And she's created a whole new identity to go with her new life.  And she thinks she's discovered how to firmly grasp the life she's seeking.

When she hears that a long thought dead fugitive may have taken up residence in the small town of Sanctuary, Missouri, Sophie jumps at the chance to get the story of a lifetime.  But the scoop that she's expecting may not be the one she gets, especially when she meets a face from her past.

As Sophie works her way towards finding a murderer, she finds her own safety as well as her heart in danger. With the clock ticking down Sophie work through the questions of the past to find the truth. But someone seems to have taken an interest in Sophie's reasons for being in Sanctuary and they just might uncover the truth before Sophie.

Suspense and intense drama what's not to love? If you are new to the series you will be seeing Sanctuary through Sophie's perspective rather than that of the author, but there is nothing wrong with this as one can read this book and follow along as the various characters are introduced.

I was provided a copy of this book through TBCN/BookFun in exchange for my honest review.

About the Book (320 pages):

Sophie Wittenbauer left her strict Mennonite hometown under a cloud of shame and regret. Certain she's left her past far behind her, she's now focused on her job at a newspaper and is shocked when she stumbles upon the name of someone she knew in her old life. But when she learns the man--a prisoner--claims a suspect from a decades-old unsolved crime is hiding out in the small town of Sanctuary, Missouri, she can't resist following the lead in hopes of furthering her career. Almost immediately upon her arrival, Sophie's confronted with a face from her past and fears her intention of using a false identity to investigate is doomed. But with the help of Sanctuary's charismatic young pastor, Sophie knows she's getting close. Will she be able to conceal the truth of her own past long enough to find the suspect before someone puts a stop--fatal or otherwise--to her investigation?


About the Author:

Nancy Mehl is the author of twenty-one books, including the Road to Kingdom and Finding Sanctuary series. Nancy writes from her home in Missouri, where she lives with her husband, Norman, and their puggle, Watson. Visit www.nancymehl.com to learn more.