Merry Christmas from (l-r)
Winston, Sampa Claus, and Drea
~ Blooming with Books ~
12.24.2018
12.23.2018
The Cost of Betrayal ~ Review
By Dee Henderson
Dani Pettrey
and Lynette Eason
Betrayed by Dee Henderson
When Ann Falcon finds a weapon with a link to a murder case she delves into the case and determines that the wrong person was convicted of the crime. Even worse she's convinced that Janelle Roberts was set up for the murder by someone close to her.
But when Janelle is freed after six years of her sentence Ann and Paul Falcon arrange for her release and a safe place for her to come to terms with what she lost.
Deadly Isle by Dani Pettrey
Tennyson Kent has just been dumped by her fiancee when the island community she calls home is cut off from the mainland by the storm surge of a nor'easter. But an even greater danger exists when a killer targets Teni and what little family she has. With the help of Callen Frost, her first love who broke her heart, she's determined to find the killer before he can escape. But will she live long enough to discover his identity?
Code of Ethics by Lynette Eason
When Detective Isaac Martinez is shot and ends up as Ruthie St. John's patient, she discovers that someone is intent on ending his life following an attack in the hospital. Being a St. John, Ruthie does the only thing she can do - she goes on the run with him while calling in help from her family. But when a family is in danger Isaac and Ruthie do everything they can to keep them safe. But can they discover who wants Isaac dead before it is too late? This is part of the Blue Justice series so if you've read the other books you'll want to read this one.
Betrayed is the longest at approximately 140 pages with Deadly Isle and Code of Ethics both approximately 110 pages. If you are unfamiliar with any or all of these authors this is a good introduction as each can be a standalone story. Perfect for fans of romantic suspense.
About the Book:
FAITH WILL BE TESTED. TRUST SHATTERED.
THREE BESTSELLING ROMANTIC SUSPENSE WRITERS REUNITE
FOR NOVELLAS OF DEADLY BETRAYAL.
Dee Henderson - "Betrayed"After serving six years of a twenty-year sentence for a murder she didn't commit, Janelle Roberts is finally freed. But the truth is still waiting to be discovered, and a murderer is still at large. Janelle needs to be somewhere safe with someone she can trust. She may not survive another act of treachery.
Dani Pettrey - "Deadly Isle"Tennyson Kent is trapped on the isolated island of her childhood by a storm surge, and she is shocked when the typically idyllic community turns into the hunting grounds of a murderer. Cut off from any help from the mainland, will she and first love Callen Frost be able to identify and stop a killer before they become the next victims?
Lynette Eason - "Code of Ethics"When Detective Isaac Martinez lands in the ER with a gunshot wound, he pulls through thanks to trauma surgeon Ruthie St. John. But as the witness to a crime and possible corruption, Martinez is at risk from someone intent on silencing him--and those around him--forever. When he barely survives another attack while recovering, both he and Ruthie must flee, trying to outrun deadly killers while locating the evidence they need to end the danger.
The Dad Next Door ~ Review
Family Blessings #1
By Stephanie Dees
Joe Sheehan is back in Red River Springs, Alabama, a place he thought he'd left behind him. But life has a way of giving you what you least expect. And he wasn't expecting anything about his current situation. Recovering from a gunshot wound, his dad recently deceased, and a twelve-year-old daughter he never knew about. And then there is the opinion of those in town who remember his reputation as a kid before the Sheehan's made him part of their family.
Claire Conley is returning to her roots - roots that she was unaware of until recently when she and her twin sister Jordan inherited their biological father's home shortly after meeting him. Claire is determined to turn the plantation home they inherited into a foster home for hard to place children. With limited funds and a tight timeline, Claire has her work cut out for her.
With Joe's need for a home for himself and his daughter, Amelia and Claire's need for help in her renovations seemingly a perfect trade-off they find themselves helping Amelia to come out of the protective shell she has erected around herself. And Claire's animals are a big part of her healing. Now if only Claire can convince the residents of Red River Springs that what she's planning on offering will be a blessing to the whole community and not a blight.
Life isn't easy but the characters encourage one another as they face the adversities life has thrown at them and they just might find love and the home of their hearts along the way. Claire, Joe, and Amelia must face the past so that they can accept the future that is waiting for them
If you're looking for a heart-warming and inspiring read give The Dad Next Door a chance. This is clean reading that deals with issues of worth and acceptance. Sometimes the best way to have good neighbors is to one yourself.
I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by the author through JustRead Publicity Tours with no expectations but that I offer my honest opinion - all thoughts expressed are my own.
About the Book:
Author: Stephanie Dees Genre: Contemporary Romance Publisher: Love Inspired Release Date: April 18, 2017 ISBN: 9780373622771
A Place
to Call Home
Lawman Joe Sheehan is desperate to bond with the daughter he's just discovered he has. But as a virtual stranger to twelve-year-old Amelia, the task seems impossible. Until Claire Conley moves to town. A social worker renovating a mansion into a foster home, Claire is the first person to get through to Amelia. Falling for the single dad was not on Claire's to-do list. But with Joe and Amelia around, the house finally starts to feel like home. Claire's ready to fight to convince Joe that together they've done more than fix a house…they've built a family.
FAMILY BLESSINGS:
Forging a home with love and faith
12.19.2018
Leaving Lavender Tides ~ Review
A Lavender Tides Novel #1.5
By Colleen Coble
Shauna and Zach Bannister have left the danger of Lavender Tides, Washington, behind as they celebrate their marriage with a honeymoon in Hawaii. But a new danger is stalking them and unless they can figure out who and why they may never make it back home.
Someone has decided that Shauna is their lost love and he'll do anything to get Zach out of her life. When a series of accidents that almost cost Zach his life Shauna fears that she may lose yet another person dear to her. An anonymous flower delivery leaves the pair wondering just what is going on. But the truth will be what they least expect.
A secondary storyline has Zach searching out information about Shauna's long-missing siblings, which anyone who has read book two will know has a partial outcome that is one that makes Shauna happy.
This is a definite mystery that is an easy to read novella that fills in the spaces between books one (The View from Rainshadow Bay) and two (The House at Saltwater Point). The story portion of the book is only 136 pages followed by discussion questions. If you are looking for a quick read for your book club with a story that could be a stand-alone this is one that you may want to try.
About the Book:
Shauna and Zach’s dream honeymoon—turned nightmare.
Having narrowly avoided tragedy in their hometown of Lavender Tides, Washington, Shauna and Zach Bannister are finally on a honeymoon cruise through the Hawaiian islands. Lost in the glow of their newfound love, they eagerly anticipate basking in the warmth of the lush tropics.
But soon the newlyweds begin receiving mysterious threats. After Zach survives two attempts on his life – staged as freak accidents – Shauna ominously receives flowers from a stranger.
The lovers become unwitting detectives in an urgent pursuit to discover the identity of their murderous stalker.
Set against the spectacular Hawaiian landscape, Colleen Coble’s lightning-paced novella is a haunting journey into a world as remote and hidden as it is beautiful, as spellbinding as it is wondrous.
12.18.2018
Mind Games ~ Review
Kaely Quinn Profiler #1
By Nancy Mehl
As Behavioral Analyst for the FBI Kaely Quinn is considered odd - she has conversations with the individuals she is profiling. And her father, convicted a serial killer, has done nothing to endear her to her fellow agents who wonder how she never saw him for who he was.
And someone has now decided to challenge Kaely in a game of wits that will end in her death. With a killer who seems bent on making Kaely pay for a perceived offense, she is in a race against time to solve the clues he's left in a cryptic poem. But how do you find a killer who seemingly has no MO upon which to create a profile? This may be the toughest case Kaely has ever had to work on. Add to the stress having to deal with a new partner who doesn't yet know, understand or trust her or her methods.
Special Agent Noah Hunter has been assigned to a case in which one of their own has been targeted. He's heard the rumors and scuttlebutt about Kaely Quinn and now finds himself stuck with her after she managed to somehow send her last one out of state. And being assigned to "mind" Kaely isn't high on his list of preferred assignments. But their boss Solomon Slattery, Special Agent in Charge of the St. Louis office has absolute confidence in Kaely and her skills so Noah finds himself getting to see Kaely in action.
As far as a first book goes in a series this one absolutely keeps the reader's attention engaged from the first word to the last. With a cast of potential suspects, one is kept guessing until the final reveal as to who is the guilty party and just what crime they've laid the blame for upon Kaely. I will admit that I stayed up late to read this one I couldn't put it down wondering just what was going to happen, so word of warning - start this early in the day or when you don't have to be up early the next. Kaely Quinn just might be your next favorite read - it certainly has moved into my top 10 list.
I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher with no expectations but that I offer my honest opinion - all thoughts expressed are my own.
About the Book:
FBI Behavioral Analyst Kaely Quinn's methods may be highly unorthodox, but her talent is undeniable. She's done her best to establish a new life for herself after being demoted and transferred to St. Louis when a reporter revealed she's the daughter of an infamous serial killer. But when that same reporter claims to have received an anonymous poem predicting a string of murders, ending with Kaely's, it seems her old life has followed her.
When a body is found that fits the poem's morbid predictions, Kaely and her new partner, Special Agent Noah Hunter, are forced to move past his skepticism of her approach and work together to unravel the deadly riddle.
With a brazen serial killer who breaks all the normal patterns on the loose, Noah and Kaely must race to catch the murderer before anyone else, including Kaely, is killed.
12.13.2018
Searching For You ~ Review with Interview
Orphan Train #3
By Jody Hedlund
Sophie Neumann knows how to run - she's been doing it for the past couple years doing whatever she had to do to ensure that Olivia and Nicholas survived. And she'd do almost anything to provide for them. But when Sophie is forced to flee New York City she, the children and her friend Anna find themselves on a Children's Aid Society train headed to Illinois with the promise that they would be placed in homes that wanted them. Her heart is torn with her lack of proper provision for Olivia and Nicholas and her desire to never be parted from them. Can she come up with one more scheme to keep them all safe and together? Sophie is determined to try.
Reinhold Weiss has his farm and is working to be able to bring his sisters to Mayfield but the work is hard and Reinhold is determined to not accept help from others. His brother Jakob is all the help he needs, except his neighbors, the Duffs are determined to help him as much as possible around their own heavy workload. And Euphemia Duff is one of those motherly types who just has to care and her meals are better than anything he or his brother could put together.
When Sophie, Anna, Olivia, and Nicholas arrive in Mayfield they are each taken into homes those some more eagerly than others. Sophie is offered a home by Euphemia who is nothing like Sophie expected. She is kind and not harsh which considering Sophie's lack of basic household skills surprises her to no end. But the biggest surprise is when Reinhold and Jakob Weiss join the family for dinner. Fearing that Reinhold will betray her to her older sisters Sophie is ready to once again run until she extracts a promise of silence from Reinhold.
Knowing that Elise and Marianne are searching for Sophie Reinhold reluctantly agrees, knowing that if he doesn't Sophie will soon be gone again. What he never expected or wanted was to be drawn to this young woman whom he had previously thought of as a little sister. His feelings couldn't be more wrong - after all, Sophie's sisters were married to men of wealth who could provide her with her every wish and could introduce to men of similar power and position. But Sophie needs his help now and he'll do whatever he can to keep her safe and from running away. There is just one problem with this he may lose his heart before he can see her safely home with her sisters.
Searching For You is the third and final book in the Orphan Train series. This one focuses on Sophie and the two young children who were in the Neumann family's care in With You Always. The Orphan Trains that sent children from the city to rural communities were offering a hope of a better life, though as touched upon in this book it was not always the case.
Both Sophie and Reinhold were broken by their pasts, fears of never being good enough held them in bondage. Letting go of their fears and worrying about measuring up to the high standards that they had set for themselves was essential for them to grow into who they could and should be. It is interesting to see Reinhold's progression through this series and the different role he played in each sisters life. Though you could read this book on its own it is better to read this series in order so as to not miss key factors that bring this book and series to a most satisfying conclusion.
I was provided a complimentary copy of this book through the publisher and the author with no expectations but that I offer my honest opinion - all thoughts expressed are my own.
About the Book:
Her search for a place to call home
leads her to the last place she ever expected
After witnessing a crime, Sophie Neumann disappears with her two young charges on an orphan train heading west. At the first stop, she faces the most difficult choice of her life. Reinhold Weiss has finally purchased his own small farm when an old friend shows up, pleading for help. But how can he help her when mounting debts and past scars still haunt him?
Author Q and A:
1. What is the inspiration behind your orphan train series?
I have long been fascinated by the era of the Orphan Trains and the heart-wrenching stories of the homeless and helpless young orphans that were taken from eastern cities and shipped west by the dozens. I was familiar with stories of those scared orphans who were placed out in what was thought to be a more wholesome, healthy environment of the newly settled Mid-Western states. Some of the orphans found happy endings and were adopted into loving families. Others experienced great abuse and heartache in their new homes.
While stories of the orphans who rode the trains have been told—and rightly so—the stories of the women who were involved in the movement are not as well known. One of the things I particularly like to do when telling my stories is focus on women who have been overlooked by the pages of history. I consider it a great privilege to be able to bring forgotten women to life for our modern generation. Thus, throughout this series, I’ll be focusing each book on a different aspect of the Orphan Train movement, particularly from the perspective of women who experienced riding the trains in one form or another.
2. Searching For You is the fourth book you’ve released in 2018. How do you find time to write so many books?
Yes, this year I’ve released FOUR books: two medieval young adult novels, A Loyal Heart and A Worthy Rebel, AND two orphan train novels, Together Forever and Searching For You.
In order to write four books a year, I plot out my writing schedule at the beginning of the year so that I know how much time I need to budget in for each book (including the first draft as well as editing). Once I have the overall schedule, then I figure out how many words to write every week in order to stay on track.
3. How did you come up with the idea for the third book in the series, Searching For You?
With You Always, the first book in the series centers around adult women who rode the orphan trains in a special limited placement for homeless and jobless women. The second book, Together Forever, depicts the orphan train experience through the eyes of placing agents who worked for the Children’s Aid Society.
Since the first two books view the orphan train movement from the lenses of grown women, in the third book I wanted to find a way to give the perspective directly from an orphan. However, in my initial planning, I wasn’t quite sure how to pull off an orphan’s view since my heroines are always adults.
As I wrestled through how to accomplish this third perspective, I crafted a young woman who was coming of age and could pose as one of the older orphan train children who were in high demand because of their ability to help contribute to the heavy workloads of families struggling to survive in the farming communities of the Mid-West.
4. What essential ingredients do you strive for in your novels to ensure an authentic love story emerges?
I always try to incorporate the elements that I like to see in the romances I read. That includes deep emotions that are birthed out of a character's past. I also like to have a relationship that evolves organically throughout the book. I try not to have my characters being antagonistic to one another the whole book and then finally falling in love in the last chapter at the last minute. I want the couple to move from friendship to falling in love gradually and to have a growing attraction (with the sparks flying!) throughout the book.
At the same time, however, I don't like to have the love relationship resolve too early in the book. Readers don't want the "happily-ever-after" moment to come until the end. So while the relationship is developing, it's important to find ways to keep the couple from being fully together until the end.
5. What special research did you do in writing Searching For You?
I gleaned a great deal of valuable information from a well-researched book, Orphan Trains, by Stephen O’Connor. He paints a vivid picture of what life was like for orphans in the nineteenth century in the immigrant slums of New York City. He says that between twenty to thirty percent of children became orphans before the age of fifteen. That’s roughly one in four children.
A large number of children were considered “half-orphans” because they’d lost one parent and the other wasn’t capable of providing for them adequately. If other relatives couldn’t help, the orphans ended up in asylums or living out on the street taking care of themselves. Asylums, like the Infant’s Hospital on Randall’s Island, typically lost around seventy percent of the children who went to live there due to unsanitary and overcrowded conditions.
Overall, O’Connor’s book with its many stories of orphans and their experiences allowed me to ride the orphan trains with them and feel their fear, anxiety, excitement, and even sorrow.
6. What are you working on next?
I’m in the editing phase of the first book of a brand new series, A Reluctant Bride, which releases in June of 2019 (next summer). The series is inspired by several bride-ships that left England in the early 1860s and sailed to British Columbia in Canada where there was a shortage of women. When the first bride-ship arrived in Vancouver, hundreds of men lined the shores to greet them and be the first to find a bride.
As I was researching this fascinating era, questions kept surfacing. What kind of woman would join a bride-ship? Why would these women leave everything they knew to sail halfway around the world for the purpose of becoming brides to men they didn’t know? I hope you’ll join me in exploring the answers to these question as I delve into my new series.
7. Do you have any parting words?
I love hearing from readers! Make sure you stop by one of these places and say hello!
I hang out on Facebook here: Author Jody Hedlund
I also love to chat on Twitter: @JodyHedlund
My home base is at my website: jodyhedlund.com
Find me on Instagram: instagram.com/jodyhedlund/
Come pin with me on Pinterest: pinterest.com/jodyhedlund/pins/
12.12.2018
Who I Am with You ~ Review
A Legacy of Faith novel
By Robin Lee Hatcher
Jessica Mason is living with a secret one that she has kept closely guarded since the day her husband and daughter died. The truth is just too awful to share. She's shut herself off from all she knew and her relationship with God, well let's just say she's put it on hold. And her out-of-the-way home suits her just fine until she gets a neighbor.
Ridley Chesterfield is hoping to avoid the media circus that has descended upon him by spending a few months at his parents newly purchased vacation home. He figures no internet, no tv, and a small nothing town will keep him sane until everything settles down. But when he finds a stray in need of a temporary home he meets his new neighbor a young woman who is expecting a baby.
As they get acquainted and form a friendship they are offered the chance to heal from their recent wounds because sometimes avoidance of life isn't the way to restoration. As they confront the truths they both face they are able to find forgiveness in their hearts.
As the present-day story plays out Jessica reads her great-grandfather's Bible. Andrew Henning received his Bible in the 1920s from his parents, a Bible that would help him through one of the most trying periods of his life. Marrying Helen Greyson, the love of his life, just weeks before the economic collapse of 1929 his life soon becomes a downward spiral. A spiral that continues with a personal tragedy that will even further rock his world. Turning repeatedly to his Bible and making notes Andrew overcomes a betrayal with love and forgiveness and his words are just what Jessica needs all these years later as she faces a similar situation.
I enjoyed this book as the main characters are all for the most part relatable. I really liked the portions that dealt with Andrew as he worked through what so many at that same time were going through. He had his pride and a desire to provide for his family. He had wanted to leave behind the life he had always known but when he needed it farming was what he could rely on in the end. I think this book more than anything is a book of forgiveness and it is a forgiveness that can only be found by making a choice and embracing the love that God has for us. If you are searching for a book club suggestion this is one to consider.
I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher Thomas Nelson through the BookLook blogger program with no expectations but that I offer my honest opinion - all thoughts expressed are my own.
About the Book:
For these two broken hearts, the first step
toward love will be a huge leap of faith.
Jessica Mason isn’t looking for love when she meets Ridley Chesterfield. Instead, she is still reeling from the tragic, unexpected loss of her husband and daughter—and awaiting the arrival of her unborn child. Harboring the secret of her husband’s betrayal, her pain is deeper than anyone knows.
Ridley Chesterfield is hiding out in Hope Springs, Idaho, avoiding a political scandal and the barrage of false media headlines that have tarnished his good name. The last thing Ridley wants is a relationship—but when fate leads Ridley to form a friendship with his reclusive and pregnant neighbor, he wonders if this small-town hideout might be more of a long-term destination.
When Jessica begins to read her great-grandfather’s Bible, she finds a connection with a man she never knew. Somehow the verses he marked and the words he wrote in the margins open her heart to healing. And as Ridley and Jessica help each other forgive the people who have wronged them, they must decide if the past will define them or if they will choose to love again.
Who I Am With You weaves together a modern-day romance with Jessica’s great-grandfather’s story from the 1930s, reminding us that some truths can cross generations and that faith has the power to transform families forever.
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