The Choosing ~ Review and Author Q&A

The Choosing
A Seer Novel 1
By Rachelle Dekker

Not to be chosen would yield a cruel fate 

of my own making

All her life Carrington Hale has believed the truth that has been taught to her - her worth is based only on her ability to be chosen.  If, on the day appointed for her to be chosen ends with no one wanting her, it is her own fault. She wasn't worthy.  She wasn't good enough.  She is to be forgotten - to become a Lint.

Carrington was suppose to be chosen, it was all but assured.  But something went wrong - she must have done something wrong.  She wasn't suppose to be a Lint. That wasn't what she spent years of her life training for.

The Choosing is a beautifully written story that is filled with heartache, cruelty, hope, and love.  Taking place in a not too distant future, the world as we know it has ended. A small remnant has created a world based on the rules of one man - a world of structure.  A world in which rules are not to be questioned.  A world where you have one chance to find your worth.  A world in which service is your duty.

But when a second chance is given Carrington's world will never be the same.  Is it possible to choose a different path than what she has been taught?  And if she does what will be the cost?

The Choosing is both beautiful and painful in a way that touches one's heart.  This book has the potential to make one look at one's own life and examine where one finds one's own worth.  Is one's worth determined by the world's standards or is it determined by the measure what is in our heart? Do we see ourselves through the eyes of God or the eyes of the world?

This is the first is a series and I for one can't wait to see what comes next in this world, a world that has lost its way in the name of rules.

I was provided a copy of this book by Tyndale in exchange for my honest review and tour participation.

About the Author . . . The oldest daughter of New York Times bestselling author Ted Dekker, Rachelle Dekker was inspired early on to discover truth through storytelling. She graduated with a degree in communications and spent several years in marketing and corporate recruiting before making the transition to write full-time. She lives in Nashville with her husband, Daniel, and their diva cat, Blair. Visit her online at rachelledekker.com.

Author Q and A with Rachelle Dekker
1. How did you come up with the story for The Choosing?
   This is a hard question because it has many answers. I wanted to write a theme-based novel about identity. I wanted to write a dystopian novel. I wanted to write in a world that was familiar, but in a setting where I could change the way the world worked. It actually is several ideas I’d been toying with pulled into one story. Once I landed on Carrington’s core revelation and story arc, I simply fell in love with her as a character and drew the rest of the story around her. That’s usually how it works for me. I come up with a character, good or bad, and create the story from there. 

2. Throughout the book, Carrington struggles with understanding her identity and worth and what is true. Why did you decide to write about the theme of identity? 
    Someone once asked me, If you could leave one message for your younger sisters, what would it be? The answer was always the same: I would pray they knew what they were worth. Identity is everything. There isn’t a theme that doesn’t start with identity, or circle back to identity. Knowing who you truly are is the greatest journey we face. Am I enough; am I worth it? I believe everyone faces these questions, and I sought out to explore them through this story.

3. The Choosing is the first of a three-book series. What can we expect in the next two books? 
    More struggles with identity, but in different ways. Familiar characters dealing with fear and worry and forgiveness. We’ll walk with our characters as they continue to understand the true way of Aaron’s Father. More excitement, more romance (of course), and more self-discovery.

4. What is it like being Ted Dekker’s daughter? Did your father help you with the writing process?  
    Being Ted’s daughter is wonderful! He’s the best, but then I hope many daughters feel that way about their fathers. He is a bit of a mystery, though. Sometimes, even sitting at the dinner table, I can tell he’s lost in thought, and I wonder what it might be like to have his mind.

    It’s been a blessing to watch him write and struggle with writing, so that now when I struggle I have an understanding ear to talk off. He is always willing to talk me through the emotional and mental side of writing (which is where the biggest battles lie in wait) but as far as story, for the most part he lets me fend for myself. It’s always been important to me to write through my challenges on my own. To figure out scenes alone. In fact, he didn’t even read The Choosing until I was already in conversations with Tyndale about publication. I think that’s because he wanted me to believe I could do it on my own.

    But when I doubt my ability as a writer, and when I forget who I am, he is the one I call. And he reminds me that life is a journey of remembering and forgetting, and helps me in remembering once again.

Guy Erma and the Son of Empire: Hunter ~ Review

Guy Erma and the Son of Empire
Hunter Part 2
By Sally Ann Melia

It is now the second day since Prince Teodor was kidnapped by the Battle Borgs.  He's been hidden away from those loyal to him, moved from one secure location to another.

Meanwhile his mother must live with her fear that she may lose Teo, unless she bows to the pressures of those whom have taken her son.  Her only hope lies with one who is not of her world.

But in whom can Teo place his hope when the very people who are suppose to be loyal to him are being control by someone who wants him dead?

Though Guy Erma's fight with Teo was cancelled, he is given another opportunity to earn his place within the Dome Elite.  But the opportunity is cloaked in secrecy.  What is required of him has yet to be revealed and if he fails the threat of being turned over to the Battle Borgs may be more than just a jesting threat.

The fate of a kingdom, an empire, and two young men may be determined by a few and what they do with the truth.  Loyalties are tested and lives hang in the balance in this exciting and potentially explosive sequel to Guy Erma and the Son of Empire: KIDNAP.

Tweens, teens, and young adults will appreciate these stories and excitement that can be find within the covers.  There are a few illustrations that will help readers envision the characters while allowing one's imagination to be creative at the same time.  The main characters, Teo and Guy, are developed in such a way that one is in sympathy with both of their situations.

I was provided a copy of this book through iRead Book Tours in exchange for my honest review and tour participation.

Book Description:

13-year-old Teodor was taken by the vicious Battle Borgs of Dome and now he must fight to survive.

13-year-old Guy Erma has been offered a chance to fight for his place in the Dome Elite. Only who will be his opponent? Will he face a Battle Borg of Dome?

Once they were heroes. These men died as heroes in battle. Now they have been reincarnated as the fearsome vanguard of the Dome Elite. They are the Battle Borgs of Dome

Two boys as different as any two boys might be. They face the same enemy, the same danger, the same fear -dare they trust each other? 

Author's Bio:

The author was born in Wallasey, England, in 1964, and moved to the South of France when she was eleven. She spent her teenage years living in the cosmopolitan city state of Monaco and became immersed in its many languages and cultures. An English girl in a French school, for three hours each week she would sit at the back of the class as her colleagues learnt English. To pass the time, she wrote stories. This led to a lifetime of writing novels, scripts, stories and articles.

In her working life, Sally writes marketing communications and manages large international websites.

In 2010, Sally joined the Hogs Back Writers, a club located on the outskirts of Guildford, and she set about turning an old manuscript into this novel: Guy Erma and the Son of Empire. Sally currently lives in Farnham, and she is married with two children.

Connect with Sally:  Website  ~  Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Pinterest

Where to buy the book:

Amazon

The entire tour schedule can be found at 

HUNTER: Part Two

Hearts Beneath the Badge Book Excerpt Tour ~ Excerpt Number 17 with Giveaway

Hearts Beneath the Badge

By Karen Solomon

About the Author

Karen Solomon is interested in the feelings of law enforcement and whether or not they have someone that will listen to them, most of them do not. Most books on the market are written by the police officers themselves, in almost textbook fashion relating protocol and situations with the orderliness of a police report. Her books are different from every book out there because the officers bare themselves to her; many of the interviews end in tears because they have opened up something that is very difficult to close. Karen Solomon is a graduate of Eckerd College and blogs as The Missing Niche. Her writing has been featured on PoliceMag.com and To Write Love on Her Arms. She lives in New England with her husband, 2 children and 2 dogs. Proceeds of her latest book,
Hearts Beneath the Badge, will be donated to law enforcement charities.

For More Information
 Visit Karen Solomon’s website.
 Connect with Karen on Facebook and Twitter.
 Find out more about Karen at Goodreads.
 Visit Karen’s blog.
 Listen to Karen on The Author Show.
 Contact Karen.

About the Book
Title: Hearts Beneath the Badge
Author: Karen Solomon
Publisher: Missing Niche Publishing
Pages: 247
Genre: Nonfiction
Format: Hardcover/Paperback/Kindle/Nook


Hearts Beneath the Badge is a unique compilation of interviews with officers across the country. It's not about the crimes they witness or the judgment they face; it's about them - Damien, Danny, Frances, Ken, Pamela, Brian, and more. Their thoughts, their fears, their proud moments and their heartbreak. It's about the people we often don't see because we are blinded by the uniform.

They are among the hundreds of thousands that are unseen each day, the men and women that go back for more no matter the personal cost. They provide meals, rides, lifesaving breaths and prosthetic legs. Yes, even prosthetic legs. There is much more to them than meets the eye-or the news camera. By reading this book, you will open yourself to a world of people you may have forgotten existed. You will see the names, families and some of the faces of the police officers that don't make the news.

Hearts Beneath the Badge is a book about the good deeds officers perform. There is a
pressing need for people to see more than just the officer's hearts; they need to see their
souls. Society as a whole needs to accept police officers for who they are - mere mortals.
In order to do that, they must look through the layers of the officer's lives and see the
heartache and joy, the same heartaches and joy we all experience. Society also needs to
know that, whether we want to admit it or not, there is a price to be paid for pursing the
love of the law.

90% of all sales will be donated to National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund, Safe Call
Now, Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.) and PoliceWives.

For More Information
 Hearts Beneath the Badge is available at Amazon.
 Pick up your copy at Barnes and Noble.

Excerpt 17:

Steve is a funny guy: funny ha-ha and funny odd. He tells it like it is and isn’t afraid to offend you. It’s not surprising that when I asked why he became a LEO, he admitted to being an “adrenaline junkie.” No sugar coating. No family history of law enforcement, no altruism, no wanting to save the world. It was, for him, like many others, a natural extension of his military service.

Joining the Navy had taken more forethought – he admired his brother and followed in his footsteps. Steve immediately took to the structure and discipline; it was a lifestyle that fit him well. While in San Diego, he was in close contact with many law enforcement officers and saw the parallel between the military and the police. It was then he knew that when he left the armed forces, he would become a police officer.

With a starting salary of $25,000, Steve moved in with his parents and began his love affair with law enforcement. This love affair introduced him to an even greater love – his wife, Tanya. He remembers their first meeting clearly – he was on a ride with the Blue Knights and she was working at a restaurant where they had lunch. The rest, as they say, is history. They have now been married five years and have a beautiful son.

Although Tanya adjusted well to the police lifestyle, it took her some time to get used to seeing him gear up. The Marshalls Task Force required some heavy-duty protective gear in addition to the guns and cuffs Steve would need in the event a situation went south. Tanya knew there were only two ways serving a warrant could go: best case, everything goes smoothly and they all go home at the end of the shift; worst case, something goes horribly wrong and someone doesn’t make it home.

Giveaway Details:
Karen Solomon is giving away a $50 Amazon Gift Card!

Leave a comment on all the book excerpt blog stops and win 5 extra entries each time!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Escape Through the Wilderness ~ Review

Escape Through the Wilderness 
By Gary Rodriguez

It seemed like the perfect get-away vacation, a chance to get away from the stresses in their lives. But this vacation was one that they would never forget and it wasn't because it was relaxing.  They were soon in a fight for their lives when their white-water rafting excursion goes terribly wrong.

But when they are separated from their guide during the middle of their rafting adventure Savi, Jade, Rico, and Conner find themselves drawing on all their skills to not only make it to shore but to make it back to Camp Arrowhead more than 20 miles away over rough terrain.

With limited supplies on hand the four teens have to live off the land as they attempt to avoid bears, wolves, snakes, and the Vexel!
But time is against them as they fight to survive dangers known and unknown.

If you like your reading packed full of excitement and adventure Escape Through the Wilderness will appeal to you.  If you prefer realistic fiction to fantasy this is also the book for you.

It is interesting watching these 4 teens grow as individuals and as a group as they work together to survive the wilderness.  Teens will love this book.

I was provided a copy of this book through PUYB in exchange for my honest review and tour participation.

About the Book:
Title: Escape Through the Wilderness
Author: Gary Rodriguez
Publisher: Tate Publishing
Pages: 254
Genre: Teens/Children
Format: Paperback/Kindle

Sixteen-year-old Savannah Evans walks with a slight limp thanks to a gymnastics’ accident that dashed her Olympic dreams, but didn’t stop her from attending an adventure camp in Idaho. At Camp Arrowhead, she quickly befriends Jade Chang and Rico Cruz, but Conner Swift taunts Savi because of her injury.

When the four are teamed together for an overnight white-water river rafting adventure, Savi refuses to get in the same raft with Conner. Unfortunately, the director will not reassign her.

A fun expedition down the river turns into a nightmare when their raft slams into a huge rock and their adult guide disappears down the river.

Without their guide and desperately trying to steer an out-of-control raft, they pass the “Last Chance” marker and enter the larger rapids. With Jade pinned between the raft and a rock, and Rico clinging to a lifeline, Savi must cut the raft free.

When the four drag themselves out of the river, they’re bruised, beaten, lost, and twenty-five miles from camp. Because of late-night campfire tales of Vexel, a vicious animal that roams the nearby woods, Savi and the others are terrified.

Savi becomes the unlikely leader who tries to guide the group back to Camp Arrowhead. Limited supplies, injuries, and the constant threat of Vexel—who Savi fears is stalking them, complicate the harrowing return trip.

Readers will enjoy dramatic survival scenes and the group working together, solving problems, and learning to overcome adversity.

For More Information:

Escape Through the Wilderness is available at Amazon.

Pick up your copy at Barnes and Noble.

Purchase at Book Daily.

Check out the book at Tate Publishing.

Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

Author Bio:
My name is Gary Rodriguez, and I live in California. I'm the president of  LeaderMetrix Inc., a consulting company that specializes in senior-level executive coaching, organizational development, and conflict resolution. Previously, I worked for eighteen years in the radio business as an executive where I spent several years as one of the original managers of Infinity Broadcasting.

Following a successful radio career I became the president of a non-profit organization for a season.

As a young man, I spent a tour of duty in the U.S. Army where I was recognized as the youngest Drill Instructor in the Army's history at age 18 years. I was also awarded the Silver Star (the nation's third highest award for valor) while serving in a combat zone.

Over the past few years, I've written three non-fiction books and then I decided to write a novel.

My first book, Purpose-Centered Public Speaking, was published in 2009 and was re-published this summer (2014). Then I wrote a companion workbook designed to help people implement the principles taught in my first book.  Next, I wrote Overcoming The Fear Of Public Speaking. And this past year, I wrote my first novel, Escape Through The Wilderness.

For More Information:
Visit Gary Rodriguez’s website.
Connect with Gary on Facebook and Twitter.
Find out more about Gary at Goodreads.
Check out Gary at Authors Den.
 Contact Gary.

Book Excerpt:

Suddenly, they heard a loud rustling of bushes and branches snapping 

downriver not far from where they had set up their makeshift camp.

“What was that?” Savi whispered anxiously. “It couldn’t be Vexel, could it?”

“Quiet.” Rico rebuked her with a hush. He raised the tip of his nearly finished 

spear. 

Again, they heard more noise in the woods. This time they knew it was getting 

closer.

Peer Through Time ~ Review and Excerpt

Peer Through Time
By David T. Pennington

She's a woman out of time.  Her future is her present, her past is her future, and her present is about to become her past.  Sound confusing?  Well, it isn't.  Peer Through Time opens in 2079 in a small northern California town.  But our main character Carmela Akronfleck isn't from 2079 though she calls it home presently.  At 8 years of age she accidental entered a time portal going from 2002 to 2059 in an instant.

But she is destined to return to the past, she just didn't realize just how far back - 1936.  She is given an opportunity to change the past and prevent a serial murderer in the future.  But she needs to navigate time to save those she loves the most.

But is she willing to do what it takes to stop a killer?  And even more surprising is the identity of who the killer is.  Technology in the hands of the wrong person can truly be misused and misapplied and yet if used in just a slightly different way can be a wonder and a marvel.

I don't know if there will be a second book following these characters, but I would be interested in seeing how their lives will play out in whatever era they manage to find themselves in.

I was provided a copy of this book by the author through PUYB in exchange for my honest review and tour participation.

About the Author:

David T. Pennington grew up in a small
northern California town called Paradise,
but his home is in San Francisco. While
his associate's degree in computer
programming has helped pay the bills,
his bachelor's degree in psychology has
informed his writing. His love of fiction--
mainly mysteries, science fiction, and
thrillers--is balanced by his fascination
with books on futurism, theoretical physics,
and cosmology.
Peer Through Time is his debut novel.

For More Information:

Visit David T. Pennington’s website.

Connect with David on Facebook and Twitter.

Find out more about David at Goodreads.

Visit David’s blog.

Contact David.

About the Book:
Title: Peer Through Time
Author: David T. Pennington
Publisher: Quantaj Publishing
Pages: 371
Genre: Science Fiction
Format: Paperback/Kindle

In 2079, a time travel experiment sends physicist Carmela Akronfleck further back in time than she’d intended. Though she’s still in her small northern California town, the year is 1936 and she must learn to live without the technology she’s come to rely on. Her neurological implants should be dormant, but she receives a cryptic message, periodically accompanied by an audio transmission from the future. It’s the voice of her former psychotherapist, an android named Kass, stating his innocence in a series of murders occurring in 2079.

When Carmela deciphers the code as a hit list, she’s shocked to discover her mother and sister are among the intended targets. Further evidence reveals the killer’s true identity, but the inoperative time portal prevents her from returning to save her family and vindicate Kass.

She considers another option: hunt down the killer’s ancestors and avert his existence without radically changing history. She devises a plan to protect her family, haunted by doubts that she’s becoming the kind of person she’s always loathed—one willing to take another’s life.

For More Information:
Peer Through Time is available at Amazon.
Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

Book Excerpt:
September 19, 2079
Prowling around in an empty office late at night may have been a bad idea, particularly in high heels. Sara Drake stopped and leaned against the wall to remove her shoes. She dropped the left one, its heel clattering alarmingly loud on the corridor floor. Sara froze when she sensed something ... a presence. She’d never believed in disembodied spirits, nor had she ever experienced an awareness of someone watching her—but someone, or something, was here.

“Hello?” she said, leaning slightly toward the end of the hallway. “Kass? I got a message to come here. Are you in there?”

She heard a soft, electronic click—like when the security system had granted her access into the luminous, vacant lobby of Peer Therapies. She had looked back at the darkness outside, wishing she’d asked QUINT to leave its headlights on. She could just make out the driverless vehicle’s silhouette through the fog creeping up from the canyon. The car waited for her in the soundless, somber night.

A shiver ran through Sara just before she turned her attention away from the window and toward the bright antechamber, sparsely furnished with but a few cushioned chairs and side tables. In the two times she’d been here, she’d never seen more than one other patient in this room, so there was no tangible reason for her apprehension. But the reception desk was abandoned, too. The message she’d received earlier had led her to believe someone would be here to receive her—so where were they?

“This is what happens when you try to automate everything,” she muttered. “Robot psychologists. What next?” She reviewed the message with her cybernetic optical implant:
   Mrs. Drake, please return to your local branch of Peer Therapies. Earlier today you left behind an important item. Our apologies for the late hour, but we must return it to you right away.

It wasn’t that late—quarter to eleven—and Sara Drake wasn’t tired. She was bored and ready to try new things, venture into the unknown. Seeking psychological counseling had been a giant step into the unknown. Her son’s recent suicide had sparked something in her: a will to delve deeper than she’d ever allowed, a will to try and understand why she’d abandoned her own flesh and blood.

Eric was a killer. A failure. A piece of garbage that should have been incinerated instead of being allowed to rot and become fetid.

That had been her perspective for the past seven decades—until Eric took his own life. After that, all the other reasons faded away and she was left staring at herself in the mirror, as if reading her own mind for the first time. What she saw said that Eric was an embarrassment. That was the sole reason she had cut him out of her life. It was all about how his actions reflected on her.

She only knew one therapist employed here, a male named Kass. No last name.Employed and male may not be appropriate terms, because Kass was a machine. Not that it was polite to call them that—synthetic humans or androids were the more acceptable terms—but in the relative privacy of their own home, she and Phil referred to Kass and his kind as robots.

Did they have homes or did they sleep here in the office? Did they even need sleep? Probably not. Kass was likely here, in his office, powered down. Sara had walked past the reception desk and into a corridor illuminated by a soft glow. Now she picked her shoe up off the floor and held both shoes in one hand.

 “Hello?” she called again, raising her voice.

The doorway to her therapist’s office was at the end of the corridor. She should march right up to it and announce herself. But something inside her made her hesitate. She couldn’t think of any items she was missing, and even if she’d left something here, she could retrieve it in the morning. There was no reason for her to be here an hour before midnight. Her boredom, along with her desire to momentarily escape from Phil, had brought her here.

That, and the message—and her own agenda.

One hundred ten years of life. So many things she’d forgotten—and others she’d like to forget. She’d heard rumors that such a thing might be possible—nanobots fiddling around in your brain, modifying or eradicating only certain memories—but all her connections to the scientific research community had denied anything like that was available. Her ex-husband’s company, Wakeup Technologies, hadn’t invented anything new in years, but Peer Industries had—and Sara suspected it was no coincidence that the previous therapist, the predecessor to Kass, had lost all its memories. If anyone could help her snoop around and find out more, it would be someone from Peer. Maybe her therapist, if it—if he—could be persuaded.

She heard the electronic click again.

Little Seed: A Life ~ Review

Little Seed: A Life

By Callie Grant

Illustrated by Suzanne Etienne

Little Seed: A Life is a fun way to introduce your little readers (or pre-readers) to the life cycle of a seed. 

We are introduced to a seed falling to the ground in fall. We go through the seasons and the growth cycle of a complete year ending with the little seed having new little seeds fall to the ground.

Targeted for ages 0-5 the illustrations will appeal to this age group.  The wonder of God's creation and the value of a seed is shared in this little book.  An excellent gift for your soon-to-be-reader or as a Sunday School aid.

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: (24 pages)

God gives Little Seed everything it needs to weather the storms and grow in the sun. As the Bible widely demonstrates, God’s creation is full of meaning and useful for instruction. This life story of Little Seed lays a foundation for scientific and spiritual knowledge in the youngest souls. In the Graham Blanchard book collection, Little Seed: A Life is a Praise book, which celebrates the soul-pleasing wonders of God that children experience every day. A natural response to this God-filled world is worship, gratitude and awe for him and his glory, while young hearts grow for him.





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Callie Grant founded Graham Blanchard to create children's books for growing up in God, by working with an extensive network of artists, parents, pastors, teachers, and children. The company is the culmination of her experience in the publishing industry paired with a strong calling to help families know God's love and nurture their faith through reading together. Her previous titles, under the name Callie Gregory, include Jeeves, I'm Bored: 25 Internet Adventures for Kids, and Jeeves, I Need Help: Tips and Tricks for Kids on the Net. For more information about Grant and Graham Blanchard, visit grahamblanchard.com.

As Love Blooms ~ Review

As Love Blooms
The Gregory Sisters 3
By Lorna Seilstad

Tessa Gregory is all grown up, now if only she could convince her sisters of it.  But for some reason they just can't take her choice of careers serious.  But throughout her life gardening has been Tessa's one enduring passion.  And she determined to get a position at Como Park.  But she needs to convince Fred Nussbaumer that a woman can work within the Saint Paul park system.

With the help of Reese King, a gardener at Como Park, she may see her vision for a garden become reality.  But Tessa is never content to rely on just one plan to help her achieve her goal.  And she determined that all of Saint Paul will discover the joy and beauty that can be enjoyed through gardens, even if she has to put her acting skills to go use.

But how far is she willing to go to achieve her dreams and what price is too high to pay?  And will she find love along the way?

In this the third book in the Gregory Sisters series it is interesting to observe the sisters relationship as they try to help one another and spare one another pain.  But life comes with hurts and we can't keep them from the lives of those we love as the Hannah, Charlotte, and Tessa are about to again discover.

The setting is again Saint Paul, Minnesota, and the book opens in May 1913.  This is a time of progression and change in the country.  Women are seeking to further their rights in educational opportunities, career choices, and political voice.  It is interesting to see the historical events that are woven throughout this story and series.

Though you don't have to read the two previous books in this series to enjoy As Love Blooms it helps one to understand each sister more fully if you read all three books.  Take a step back in time and enjoy a visit with the Gregory sisters and all their antics.

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

About the Book:

Young romance opens like a rose . . . 

                      but even a rose has its thorns.

Tessa Gregory is nothing if not tenacious. Denied a position as a horticulturist at prestigious Como Park in Saint Paul, Minnesota, she is not above a little benevolent deception in order to get the park superintendent to change his mind and hire her. She plans to infiltrate the world of wealthy and influential people in hopes of drumming up financial support for a world-class conservatory. But before she can put those plans into action, she meets Reese King, a handsome gardener at Como Park--and a major distraction. Still, Reese might be the key to achieving her dream. But is his goal to help her . . . or to capture her heart?

Against the lush backdrop of manicured gardens and greenhouses full of the exotic, Lorna Seilstad weaves a sweet and sassy story that is sure to delight.

About the Author:
A history buff, antique collector, and former high school English teacher, fan favorite Lorna Seilstad is the author of When Love Calls, While Love Stirs, and the Lake Manawa Summers series. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Lorna lives in Iowa with her husband. Learn more at www.lornaseilstad.com.