Thursday, August 29, 2013

WHISPERS ON THE DOCK by Evangeline Kelly



Three sisters. A charming inn. Hints of mystery and romance. And a gorgeous seaside setting. Escape to Misty Harbor Inn.

As Nantucket reaches the pinnacle of its summer glory, and the Marris sisters welcome guests at Misty Harbor Inn, youngest sister Sam Carter enters her mother's cobbler recipe in the Summerfest baking contest. But she faces a formidable opponent, a past winner who is determined to keep her title even if it means stooping to dirty tactics. Can Sam's newfound faith help her rise above the fray and reach out to this lonely woman? Meanwhile, an elderly guest arrives who knows the inn's history, and the sisters are stunned to learn that their late mother lived there as a child. But she told them she'd never been to Nantucket until her honeymoon! Through the woman's reminiscences and photos, the sisters make an intriguing discovery --- not only about the mysterious Hannah Montague, the young woman who disappeared from the house in 1880, but also about their own family history.

Readers will delight in the inviting Nantucket setting and be enthralled by the adventures of these sisters who reunite to bring their mother's Misty Harbor dreams to life.

My thoughts...

The characters are wonderful, the kind of people you would want to be friends. Sam loves to bake and has decided to enter her blackberry cobbler in a contest. She has to outsmart an opponent who plays dirty. Caroline is planning her wedding but definitely isn't a happy bride to be and last but not least, Gracie is struggling financially and may have to sell the Inn they all love.

They have a mystery to solve and there's lots of twists that will keep you interested in this cozy mystery. This is book three and I recommend reading each one. They leave you feeling satisfied!

I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

SOMEBODY LOVE ME by Michelle Sutton



Melissa "Missy" Houghton is on a quest for true love, but she's looking in all the wrong places. She abandons her favorite activities in her pursuit of something better. Something that will give her life significance. Something that will bring her hope.

When her first boyfriend turns out to be a huge disappointment, she opens her life to more possibilities, only they aren't any better. In fact, Missy finds herself trapped in a situation that skews her view of people, and shreds her ability to trust. The resulting pain doesn't inhibit her search, but it may taint her choices and ultimately cost her more than she's willing to pay.

My thoughts...

Fifteen year old Missy is looking to fill her need to be loved and she's going about it the wrong way. The choices she makes only take her deeper into a life no teen should experience. There were many occasions for the love of Jesus to be introduced to her throughout the book but the author didn't offer that option. I would classify this as more of a secular than a Christian book. It did make me aware of how some teens feel today, their lives full of attractive yet deceiving opportunities...sex, drugs, alcohol. Missy's father works a lot, her mother suffers from depression, her "friends" are not the kind of friends you would want for your daughter. What she gleans from her mistakes aren't always the right lessons to learn.

This is a fast paced, emotional, read. Heartbreaking as you go with Missy through these issues with sometimes devastating repercussions. It reminds us that we should love and support our children with all our might and lots of prayer.

I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

ICING ON THE CAKE ~ A Revell Blog Tour



Scarlet Lindsey is busy making her dreams come true. She's moved her bakery to a prime spot on Galveston's most popular street, she's planning an extravagant cake for her best friend's wedding, and she has a great relationship with Bella Neeley, the island's most popular wedding coordinator. Business is booming and Scarlet is enjoying the ride.

But when Bella's dangerously handsome brother Armando breezes into her life, Scarlet is faced with a sticky situation. Should she stay with the safe, sweet guy who's been a fixture in her life for years? Or will this brash Italian hunk melt her guarded heart?

My thoughts...

This is my first Janice Thompson book and I really enjoyed this light hearted tale of romance and weddings! I quickly grew to love the characters (even Armando!), they're like a big ol' loveable family. What predicaments they get into and how fun to see how they work them out. Thompson gave us surprises, laughs, sweet romance, and the perfect setting for a wonderful summer read!

I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“Available August 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

Visit Janice's blog and get to know her!

Saturday, August 17, 2013

BURNING SKY



Abducted by Mohawk Indians at fourteen and renamed Burning Sky, Willa Obenchain is driven to return to her family’s New York frontier homestead after many years building a life with the People. At the boundary of her father’s property, Willa discovers a wounded Scotsman lying in her path. Feeling obliged to nurse his injuries, the two quickly find much has changed during her twelve-year absence—her childhood home is in disrepair, her missing parents are rumored to be Tories, and the young Richard Waring she once admired is now grown into a man twisted by the horrors of war and claiming ownership of the Obenchain land.

When her Mohawk brother arrives and questions her place in the white world, the cultural divide blurs Willa’s vision. Can she follow Tames-His-Horse back to the People now that she is no longer Burning Sky? And what about Neil MacGregor, the kind and loyal botanist who does not fit into in her plan for a solitary life, yet is now helping her revive her farm? In the aftermath of the Revolutionary War, strong feelings against “savages” abound in the nearby village of Shiloh, leaving Willa’s safety unsure.

Willa is a woman caught between two worlds. As tensions rise, challenging her shielded heart, the woman called Burning Sky must find a new courage--the courage to again risk embracing the blessings the Almighty wants to bestow. Is she brave enough to love again?

My thoughts...

Willa Obenchain was captured and raised by Mohawk Indians. Renamed Burning Sky it was many years later she returns to her family farm. Upon arrival she discovers an injured man but no sign of her family. She works at cleaning up the land but there's someone who wants it and will stop at nothing to own her land.

I found this to be such a well written, suspenseful story, there's romance as well as plenty of drama. Life was indeed rough on the frontier and this book gives us a glimpse into the challenges that living in that time presented. I highly recommend it!

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

INTO THE WHIRLWIND by Elizabeth Camden



As owner of the 57th Illinois Watch Company, Mollie Knox's future looks bright until the night the legendary Great Chicago Fire destroys her beloved city. With her world crumbling around her, Mollie will do whatever it takes to rebuild in the aftermath of the devastating fire.

Zack Kazmarek, an influential attorney for one of Chicago's finest department stores, is a force to be reckoned with among the city's most powerful citizens. Bold and shrewd, he's accustomed to getting exactly what he wants--until he meets Mollie Knox, the beguiling businesswoman just beyond his reach.

In the tumult as the people of Chicago race to rebuild a bigger and better city, Mollie comes face-to-face with the full force of Zack's character and influence. Zack believes this may finally be his chance to win her, but can Mollie ever accept this man and his whirlwind effect on her life, especially with her treasured company on the line?

My thoughts...

Mollie loves her job running the company that belonged to her father, making artisan watches for some of Chicago's elite. Then the great fire causes total chaos yet she is determind to rebuild. The last thing she needs is Zach Kazmarek, an attorney (whose ethics are in the gray area) that takes an interest in her and sends her into a whirlwind.

I enjoyed this wonderfully written story, you feel like you're in the midst of all the pandemonium with Camden's vivid detail. The characters struggle to regain a sense of normalcy as they go about rebuilding their city. There's romance and lots of action in this highly recommended historical novel. A pleasure to read!

I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Monday, August 12, 2013

THE BUTTERFLY SISTER by Amy Gail Hansen



Eight months after dropping out of Tarble, an all-women's college, twenty-two-year-old Ruby Rousseau is still haunted by the memories of her senior year-a year marred by an affair with her English professor and a deep depression that not only caused her to question her own sanity but prompted a failed suicide attempt.

And then a mysterious paisley print suitcase arrives, bearing Ruby's name and address on the tag. When Ruby tries to return the luggage to its rightful owner, Beth Richards, her dorm mate at Tarble, she learns that Beth disappeared two days earlier, and the suitcase is the only tangible evidence as to her whereabouts.

Consumed by the mystery of the missing girl and the contents of the luggage-a tattered copy of Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own, the book on which Ruby based her senior thesis, and which she believes instigated her madness-she sets out to uncover the truth, not only about Beth Richards's past but also her own. In doing so, Ruby is forced to reexamine the people from her past: the professor who whisked her away to New Orleans and then shattered her heart and the ghosts of dead women writers who beckoned her to join their illustrious group. And when Ruby's storyline converges with Beth's in a way she never imagined, she returns to the one place she swore she never would: her alma mater.

My thoughts...

A year ago Ruby couldn't handle life anymore, she had lost her father and the professor she was in love with ended their relationship leaving her feeling like such a fool. Seeing no way out she felt she had to end it all and unsuccessfully attempted suicide. She leaves college and moves to Chicago, later she finds her former roommate is missing and she must return to the college to look for her.

This isn't one of those typical "girl plays detective" novels, it's an interesting, well written, story with lots of twists and turns that kept me wondering what did actually happen. The ending, though wrapped up nicely, was a bit of a disappointment... it was an OK ending but I was hoping for more. There are interesting characters, a good plot, and enough suspense to make this a wonderful read!

I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

THE WIDOWS OF BRAXTON COUNTY by Jess McConkey



Family secrets can bind and destroy.

Kate is ready to put her nomadic, city-dwelling past behind her when she marries Joe Krause and moves with him to the Iowa farm that has been in his family for more than 140 years. But life on the farm isn't quite as idyllic as she'd hoped. It's filled with chores, judgmental neighbors, and her mother-in-law, who—unbeknownst to Kate until after the wedding—will be living with them.

As Kate struggles to find her place in the small farming community, she begins to realize that her husband and his family are not who she thought they were. According to town gossip, the Krause family harbors a long-kept secret about a mysterious death that haunts Kate as a dangerous, unexplainable chain of events begins.

My thoughts...

Hannah Krause gets out of bed one night to have a few moments away from her abusive husband, Joseph, who is asleep beside her. She checks on her young son then heads back downstairs and finds the door wide open. Going back to the bedroom she finds Joseph has been murdered.

The story jumps to present day with newlyweds Kate and Joe on their way to his farm in the country. She's excited about having a place of their own but upon arriving at the farm she learns her domineering mother in law will be living them, something Joe neglected to mention. The very first night strange things begin to happen and as the days pass Kate realizes she doesn't really know her jerk of a husband at all. The book shifts back and forth from 1890 to present revealing the tumultuous relationship of Hannah and Joseph.

With each page the story gets more suspenseful keeping me glued to the book, it flows smoothly back and forth in time. McConkey gives us mystery, romance, and lots of suspense, the characters are realistic, some you will like and others you will totally hate. A haunting tale of family secrets. I loved this book and highly recommend it! 5 out of 5 stars!

I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

William Morrow Trade Paperback Original
On-Sale: July 23, 2013
Price: $14.99
ISBN: 9780062188267

Thursday, August 8, 2013

THE LIVING ROOM by Robert Whitlow



Amy Clarke’s dreams are coming true—and that’s the problem.

Legal secretary by day, romance novelist by night, Amy Clarke lives with a precious secret. For years, she has traveled to a holy place in her dreams—a sublime place she calls the Living Room. When she awakes, her faith and energy are supernaturally restored. And when she dreams, she receives vibrant inspiration for her novels.

As she begins to write her third book, the nature of her dreams shifts. Gone are the literary signposts. Instead, her dreams are studded with scenes that foreshadow real life. Before long, the scenes begin to spill over into her waking hours too.

As Amy becomes entangled in a high stakes case at work, her visions take on a dark hue—implicating someone dear to her, causing her to question everything. And convincing her to trust someone with his own shadowy secrets.

Things are not always what they seem. But as fiction, dreams, and real life begin to overlap, Amy must stop dreaming and act to prevent tragedy.

My thoughts...

Whitlow is a favorite author of mine, I've not been disappointed in any of his books! This one is a fascinating mystery with some of the best characters he's conceived so far. I read page after page and hated to stop.

Amy gets her inspiration for her novels from a visitor in her "living room". Whitlow describes these scenes beautifully. The living room is in her dreams and when it gets to the point where dreams and reality overlap problems arise.
If you're in the mood for a well written, entertaining, dramatic, story THE LIVING ROOM is it!

I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

CORNERSTONE by J.M. LeDuc

Cornerstone

by J.M. LeDuc

on Tour August 1-31, 2013

Book Details:

Genre:  Suspense Thriller / Christian Published by: Suspense Publishing Publication Date: 06/25/13 Number of Pages: 330 ISBN: 978-1484188682 // 1484188683 Purchase Links:

Synopsis:

In the blink of an eye, a life begins and another ends. In a blink of an eye, Brent Venturi falls into the chasm of despair. What do you do when everything is lost? When the person you loved is gone and all you have left is guilt? These are the questions that face Brent, the leader of the Phantom Squad and the latest in Noah’s line of descendants. His answer—go back to the beginning, back to where it all began—Mount Ararat. The last known resting place of Noah’s Ark. In his travels, Brent will meet Rowtag Achak, a Cree brave and Special Forces sniper who is on a similar path of self-destruction. Together, they will trace their steps from Palm Cove to Washington D.C., all the way to Armenia and the Khor Virap Monastery which sits at the base of Mount Ararat. Their travels will eventually take them to Alpha Camp and the Hindu Kush Mountains on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. When President Dupree and the Phantom Squad get captured by the Brotherhood of Gaza, time for introspection is over and time for action begins. Brent must find a way to get back to the man he was in order to save the people still left in his life. What begins as a sabbatical of self-awareness turns into a mission of survival. His own, that of the squad and more importantly, that of the president of the United States. What man and nature takes away, only God can restore. The restoration of the Cornerstone. To find the beginning, one must walk through the past and be willing to step into the future.

My thoughts...

How I love a novel that keeps me glued to its pages. This is such a book! Fast paced, action packed pages you won't want to put down.

The President has been kidnapped and Brent Venturi must rescue him. In order to do so he must first travel to Mt. Ararat and deal with the Brotherhood of Gaza. He faces his maker and gains a deeper understanding of his destiny. His life, as well as the President's and his Squad, is in grave danger.

If you like thrillers, this book is for you. LeDuc is an amazing writer, I'm already looking forward to the next book!

I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Read an excerpt:

Prologue One month ago In one combustible moment, Brent’s life became a tumultuous cascade of happiness and horror. He had witnessed the birth of his daughter and the death of his wife. Two weeks ago Eight years ago, after his first encounter with the Omega Butcher, a sadistic serial killer, Brent Venturi lost his identity. Emotional and physical scars forced a sabbatical from the team he led: The Phantom Squad. It was only through the peace he had found in God and in his hometown of Palm Cove that he was able to recover from his physical and psychological injuries. He was once again sliding back down that slippery slope of despair into a deep, depressive abyss. The place he once ran to for tranquility no longer provided comfort. He spent his days alone and his nights wandering the streets. The nightmares that once plagued his life, the nightmares he thought were in his past, once again tore a path through his subconscious mind. It was terrifying enough when his dreams brought visions of his own torture, but now, the visions and images were different. More vivid, more personal, more terrifying. The tortured was now Chloe. His nightmares were made worse by the images of blood: so much blood, pools of blood, on her, on him . . . everywhere. When he did manage to fall asleep, Brent woke up in a pool of sweat and vomit, fearful that the wetness he felt was blood. Chloe’s blood. Agony was making him less of a man and more of a weapon of mass destruction. Chapter 1 Present Seven walked with a purposeful stride down the halls of SIA headquarters which made all other three letter intelligence agencies seem like child’s play. The sound of his footfalls as his heavy boots struck the tile floors reverberated in his ears like the base of a stereo. He heard it echo off the solid steel walls. As he walked deeper into the labyrinth, he looked up at the writing over the door that led to the inner sanctum. We are called upon when others fail. He placed his hand on the black glass panel next to the steel door. Like all others in HQ, it worked by palmer recognition. A faint red line slid under his hand. The door’s air lock disengaged. He repeated this maneuver multiple times as he descended further into the maze, finally arriving at his destination, the security office. Joan’s lair. Joan, an eclectic blend of bohemian and punk was Maddie Smith’s personal assistant and a self taught computer genius. Her office was nestled in the midst of SIA’s security hub. A sea of computers and flat screen monitors filled every bit of desk and wall space. As he entered, she sat transfixed and stared at a video feed. The monitor she was glued to took up one entire wall and was embedded in three feet of concrete and steel. “How long has he been there?” Seven asked. Joan turned just long enough to acknowledge his arrival. “I arrived at o-eight hundred hours. The security clock shows he’s been there since…” “O-five hundred.” Seven finished her sentence. It had been the same pattern for the past ten days. He stood behind her and watched Brent in the armory. Seven, like all of those close to Brent, was showing the signs of stress. In the past weeks, wrinkles from age crept into his face, like dried fissures on barren land. He blinked the sleeplessness from his eyes. “Can you roll the tape back to when he arrived?” “I can, but nothing has changed. Brent is still anal—a man of pattern.” Seven reached into the back pocket of his jeans and took out his tobacco tin. Watching the screen, he tapped the lid, shook loose the tobacco, and placed it between his lower lip and gums. Joan looked at him, rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Much like yourself.” Seven smirked and spit in his empty coffee cup. “Oblige an old man,” he drawled, “and run the tape.” “Yes, sir.” Joan reached over with her left hand, nimbly fingered the keyboard, and brought up the tape. “Finally, a woman who will listen to me.” “I hope that wasn’t meant for me.” They both turned and saw Maddie standing in the doorway. Maddie Smith was the director of the SIA and Seven’s wife. As always, everyone’s eyes were glued to her—she was stunning. A voluptuous redhead who knew how to draw attention from both sexes. She embodied a 1950’s movie starlet. “Good morning, Darlin,” Seven smiled. “Good morning, Madam Director,” Joan said. Her piecing emerald green eyes focused on Joan. “Why so formal this morning?” Joan shrugged. “Everything seems so formal since, . . .” her eyes moistened, “you know.” Maddie’s voice took on a saddened tone. She stood behind Joan, lightly rubbed her shoulders, and kissed the top of her head. “Yeah, I know, but I would feel better if you went back to calling me Maddie, or Mom, or the ‘B’ word that you mumble under your breath from time to time.” Joan wiped her tears and sniffed. “And what word would that be?” “Beautiful,” Maddie joked. A partial smile surfaced on Joan’s lips. “Oh, that ‘B’ word. Right.” “That’s the first time I’ve seen you smile in weeks. It feels good.” She looked at Seven expecting a sarcastic comeback, but he was glued to the screen. The look in her husband’s eyes made her shiver. “What is it?” “It’s Brent’s eyes. They’re blank. Emotionless. It’s as if he were on a squad mission.” “Is that so bad?” Joan said. “Isn’t that the way you all look when you’re engaged in training?” Pointing to the monitor, Seven said, “This is different. Look at his jugular veins. His eyes may be expressionless, but the rest of him is about to snap.” Maddie drew in a deep breath as she watched the monitor. Blowing it out, she knew what she had to do. “We can’t put the inevitable off any longer. Call the directorate and the Phantom Squad to a meeting at thirteen hundred hours and Seven,” she waited for him to acknowledge her. “Get him there.”

Author Bio:

Mark Adduci, writing as J. M. LeDuc is native Bostonian, who transplanted to South Florida in 1985. He shares his love and life with his wife, Sherri and his daughter, Chelsea. Blessed to have had a mother who loved the written word, her passion was passed on to him. It is in her maiden name he writes. When he is not crafting the plot of his next thriller, his alter ego is busy working as a professor at The Academy of Nursing and Health Occupations, a nursing college in West Palm Beach, Florida. J.M. LeDuc’s first novel, “Cursed Blessing” won a Royal Palm Literary Award in 2008 as an unpublished manuscript in the thriller category. It was published in 2010. He has subsequently written Cursed Presence and Cursed Days, books two and three of the Trilogy of The Chosen, as well as a novella, Phantom Squad. He is a proud member of the Florida Writers Association (FWA) and the prestigious International Thriller Writers (ITW).

Catch Up With the Author:

Tour Participants

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

THE APRIL TREE by Judith Arnold



Reach out, hold tight, stand up, move forward.
Learning that life goes on is the hardest lesson of all.
One life destroyed. Four others irrevocably shattered. Overcoming the shock and grief of death is an all-too-familiar rite of young adulthood.

Walking home from a tennis game on a bright spring day, April Walden’s three closest friends watch in horror as she is struck by a car and killed. The senseless accident plunges all three young women—and the car’s driver—into a devastating and often misguided search for comfort, purpose, and inspiration.

Becky wraps herself in a protective cloak of obsessions, performing anxious rituals at the base of the red maple tree under which April died. Elyse dives into a high-risk party life, trying to honor April by experiencing everything April missed but mistaking self-destructive indulgence for courage. Florie turns to fundamentalist Christianity, not as spiritual guidance, but as a wall that might shield her from reality. Mark, the driver, spirals downward into substance abuse and self-loathing, until April's three friends reach out to save him.

How do you make it through the night when you've stopped believing that tomorrow always comes?

My thoughts...

How devastating to see your best friend hit by a car and die. Moments ago the four friends were laughing and having fun. Now paramedics are working over April, two are hopeful but Becky knows she's gone, she died right there under the red maple tree.

The effect of this tragic accident changes the lives of the girls and the boy that was driving, suddenly they're in a downward spiral. Though an accident, Mark can't stop blaming himself and turns to drugs and alcohol. Becky blames her mother, she was supposed to pick them up after the tennis game but forgot...again. Elyse goes into a self destructive life of partying. Florie looks for something to shield her from the pain and finds a false religion.

A terribly sad story of teens dealing with the aftermath of this horror. Well written, real characters though I think the story could've been told without the excessive bad language.

I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.