Digging out

Today is a digging out day after yesterday’s massive winter storm, the Colorado low lambasting us with wind, rain, and heavy snow. There was a good amount of snow in the south eastern part of Manitoba where I live but further west it doubled and tripled. There are still highways closed and hydro customers without power but awesome progress has been made considering the conditions clean up crews faced. Records were set with this storm, both for the volume of snow and the damage it caused.

It always amazes me how much good comes out of something so disruptive. Resilient. Take care of each other – comments bandied about as officials give their status updates. People helping people wherever they see a need. A community stronger for having braved the elements together.

You know we Manitobans can’t be kept down when you hear that the football game scheduled for today is still on. It’s an unprotected field in Winnipeg but no matter what the weather – the game must go on. Except for lightning, they will postpone (often go to the field and wait it out) for lightning.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers (football) are playing the Montreal Alouettes this afternoon. The roads leading to the field are a mess but the field is perfect (after four passes to clear it.) The seats are all free of snow. The diehards will all be there,  including my son-in-law and his buddies. Currently The Bombers are leading but the Alouettes are holding their own at the end of the second quarter. We are looking for a Bomber win.

Leaves on the trees with snow on the ground. Incongruous.

20191012_145342

Books are not on my mind at this moment. The storm overshadows everything else this Canadian Thanksgiving weekend. Will we  even be able to gather for a family turkey dinner? Hopefully.

Storms cause all kinds of havoc but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. We are stronger for having faced it together. That’s a good thing.

Wishing you all a good weekend with Happy Reading!

P.S. the game is streaming on radio  CJOB Listen Live if you are interested in Canadian football.

A snow storm, and books read

Not much productive happening here today. The weather has been distracting.

It started last night around supper time and delivered a four hour power outage right off the bat. A Colorado-low weather system landed in southern Manitoba yesterday, determined to stay for the weekend.

This is how it started late afternoon yesterday. The fallen leaves will be covered soon.

Backyard 20191010_143240

A Winter wonderland in the front yard this morning.

Front yard 20191011_092725

We’ve had snow, freezing rain, bursts of gale force wind, more snow/rain, and then this morning – thunder and lightening.  I thought someone in the neighborhood was trying to start a stubborn snow blower until flashes of lightning caught my attention. Sure enough, it was thunder. Highly unusual in winter around here. Just plain snow is unusual this early in October. Life is never boring around here. We do have some awesome storms.

They didn’t have to tell me twice to stay home unless necessary.

The power outage meant Colleen Coble Collection had to be enjoyed by candlelight last night. A real hardship.

It turned out all four books were romantic mystery/thriller. Maybe the candlelight helped soften the tense mood a little.

CassiaColleen Coble All is Bright

The rest of these books were enjoyed awhile ago, I’m playing catch up. They were all very good.

unspokenLove of the Summerfields

Second ImpressionsSomething Better

It looks like I’d best hurry up and hit publish, the lights are flickering.

The thermos is filled with hot water for tea, the candles are in place, and the kindle is fully charged. I’m ready.

Happy reading. Stay warm.

 

Free books Thursday Oct 10, 2019

 

The first FREE book this morning is suggested by BookBub’s daily email, the second is mentioned in BookRunes’ daily email.

Deborah Raney writes deep, insightful stories. Appropriate for this book. Insight was originally published in 2009, After reading the first few pages I suspect I’ve read it before, but that’s ok. It’s been updated and was republished in 2016 with a new epilogue, I’m looking forward to reading it again.

Insight

 

I’ve not encountered this author, M.E. Weyerbacher, until now so can’t make any recommendations or comments. I’m expecting the best from her though. I’m looking forward to checking this out.

Wild Hope

 

At the moment I’m still hooked on yesterday’s Colleen Coble Christmas Collection. The second book, Holy Night.

Colleen Coble All is Bright

The bride is calling off the wedding. Her Downs Syndrome sister has been kidnapped on the mostly deserted  Hawaiian beach by a criminal with a vendetta against her fiancé. He’s calling the shots now and if she tells anyone he will kill Eva.

A witness claims they  saw a man with a girl jump of the cliff into the water and that’s where they are gathering.

The groom has just learned from his best friend about the prisoner’s unexpected release from prison. Bane is stressed by the danger it means for all of them but with the frantic search for Eva the opportunity to share his concern with Leia hasn’t been there. Now she’s calling off the wedding and he believes her. He has no idea the two situations are linked.

Some tense moments happening in this Christmas romance story.

In the meantime, we’re still waiting on the possible weekly email from Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas – LPC Books. If there is one today I will be letting you know!

Happy reading.

 

Free books from emails this week – 0, so far anyway…

This has been a slow week for new downloads… which has been ok actually. It gives me a chance to go back and read some of the earlier downloads still hanging around. The most enticing are read very quickly after download. Then at the other end, there are those not quite so enticing, abandoned after a few chapters, somehow finding themselves fading into oblivion.

The list of those waiting for my return is much longer than I realized. There is probably nothing much wrong with any of them, it’s just that, for one reason or another, I couldn’t  connect with them. When I think about it, they all seem to have something dark about them, and I’m not handling dark well these days. Most likely it’s due to buried, early  childhood memories resurfacing unexpectedly in the last few weeks. It’s not a bad thing, dealing with old emotional baggage, it just means easily triggered, that’s all.

Maybe it’s a good thing I’m listing the books downloaded rather than books read. That way you see them all, not just the ones I managed to finish.

Changing the subject a little:

There was a suggestion from different direction today. It came from FaceBook, Chautona Havig’s page. It is exciting to see another one of the yearly Christmas Collections is about to be published. It’s been put together by a group of Chuatona’s friends. They delight in  writing together and they do an excellent job. There are a number of collections produced through the course of the year, with a changing selection of writer’s. Their group of friends is large and whoever happens to be available with a short notice story idea fitting the chosen theme, can be included. The short notice part is why it rotates and the group can be so large.

All is Bright (Christmas Lights Collection Book 4) is to be pre-ordered, it will be out and delivered on Oct 22nd.

There are four novellas by four authors  and it’s $1.31 Canadian

All is Bright Collection

While I was searching for All is Bright I came across another collection by a beloved single author this time.

A Colleen Coble Christmas Collection: Silent Night, Holy Night, All is Calm, All is Bright

There are four novellas and it is $1.99 Canadian

Colleen Coble All is Bright

I don’t have to wait for this one to arrive, it’s already published. I know we haven’t even had Thanksgiving yet but, in my mind, it is never too early to enjoy Christmas stories. This book is up next for me. Maybe tonight even.

Well, tomorrow should be a better day, the weekly LPC email maybe will be here and it always has multiple books to offer.

See you tomorrow. If LPC doesn’t come through for us, I have another book I’m excited to tell you about.

Happy Reading, just don’t stay up all night!

Fall Flip, and other great books recently read. Mostly Romance.

All of these books have depth to them, even if they do fall under the Romance banner.

House Without Lies is probably my favorite.  Lily has a heart for abused girls in desperate straits. From a little girl she dreamed of a big house with many children. It’s coming true. Every holiday another girl, or two, is added to her household (her very small college student household.) Not only are they hiding from abusers – they are hiding from nosy neighbors, landlords, authorities who could make the girls go back home to more danger and, her rich parents who disapprove of her life choices.

Pavel works in a small grocery store where he decides; rather than throw out-of-date food in the garbage, he will save it for his friend Lily. He also decides; she needs to meet his cousin Mario who happens to work alongside Children Services, in an private teen rescue facility.

Not only is Mario distractingly handsome, he has connections, and a determination to help Lily and her girls – like it or not. The girls love him and they gladly accept whatever  he is offering, like time and food, especially food. His resources are going to be severely stretched, attempting to legally protect the teens from discovery by their abusers.

But, there is hope. Always hope.

 

the heart hearsHarvey House book 1

 

The MemoryHouse Without LiesSecondhand secrets

The NovelistRefuge at Pine LakeAt Your Request

Practically MarriedA Bridge UnbrokenWarrior

Fall FlipNo Way UpDiscovering Hope

I have to say, all of these books added value to my days.

I’m hoping you are feeling inspired…. just a little.

Happy Reading!

 

Harvey Girls, and their amazing careers

I went searching Amazon books this morning and found an interesting box set. Harvey House Complete Series Books 1 – 12. It’s priced at $1.32 with 1345 pages and that is a good deal. Especially if the subject of Harvey House is new to you, it’s an easy way to get them all at once.

Harvey house boxed set 1 to 21

Through the years, I’ve happily read some of the books in this series and still remember the impact of these amazing pioneering stories. Each unique book is set in a different city of the vast Harvey House empire.

Fred Harvey had a vision to improve the travelling experience at a time when it was still very primitive and in some cases, appalling. He wanted consistency of experience from city to city, healthy/appealing food served in a timely fashion, with courteous and respectful service. It started out with his restaurants connected to railway stations. As things grew and demand became apparent, his vision enlarged to add luxury hotels in the same locations.

He was inspired to take the unheard of step of hiring young ladies after having to deal with fights and brawls involving his male staff. Hiring women proved to be a successful solution with far less drama.

At the time it was socially unacceptable for young women to take on such roles. He defied societies opinions and it became a liberating experience for women at a time when they had no rights of their own. Any property or wages they might own became the possession of their husbands and other male relatives.

Many women went on to establish previously unheard of careers. Fred Harvey’s attention to detail and excellence, provided an enviable resume and his girls were highly respected.

My journey this morning with the Harvey House series actually started with the discovery of Harvey House  A Love So Legendary  Ellen Anderson with Katie Wyatt.

And it’s free today,

Harvey House book 1

I wasn’t sure, I was thinking this was book 1 –  the first story. I started reading, and it turns out, it tells the history of Fred Harvey and how it all began for him.

It’s an incredible story of opening up the country in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The resulting safe opportunities for women provided the chance for them to be viewed by society as valuable and capable human beings. His impact on the status of women is immeasurable. His impact on the service industry, revolutionary.


And then, one more free book discovered this morning. On the lighter side I think, maybe.

At Your Request

At Your Request – Jen Turano …. Historical Romance.

I’ve read and enjoyed this author before and I’m looking forward to reading this novella. It’s about a young woman’s tenuous connection to high society relationships despite the change in her social status due to the loss of family wealth.

Happy Reading!

A Woman of Fortune

No free books to report this afternoon. Nothing is appealing to me again, with these new emails but tomorrow is another day. In the meantime, I do have another list of interesting books-read to share with you.

This first one A Woman of Fortune is my favorite.

A Woman of Fortune A Woman of Fortune – Kellie Coates Gilbert … A beautiful Texas socialite is living the privileged dream life when it all comes crashing down. Her beloved, charming, obscenely wealthy, investment broker husband is being arrested by the FBI in the middle of their most prestigious social event of the year.  Unbelievable.

She cannot accept that he’s capable of their accusations.

It is true. He admits it. His empire is built on fraud and lies, cheating his clients out of billions.

He will spend many quiet years in prison while she’s forced to pay a hefty price — losing everything. House, money, reputation, the support of a husband and father of her children.

This well written story drew me in. It is unpredictable, raw, and it’s my favorite book in this list. I love the unexpected way it turned out.

pieces of Silver A World War 1 novel –  Pieces of Silver book 1 – Maureen Lang … Set during the turbulence of 1917 as America is swept into the Great War, this is a tale of faith, betrayal and unexpected love. (quote from Amazon)

Above the Fog  Appalachian Fiction – Above the Fog – Karen Lynn Nolan … It’s her thirteenth birthday tomorrow and her abusive father promises to be home to make a woman out of her. Desperate to flee, the sudden flood washing their village away forces her mother and frail grandmother to run with her.

She can’t help the furtive looks over her shoulder as they run, expecting him to appear out of the mist at any moment.

Mismatched   The Agency Files – Mismatched book 2 – Chautona Havig …. Organized crime. Illegal drugs. Violence. With them comes acceptance, order, purpose–danger. (quote from Amazon)

A Cowboys Reunion The Family Ties Series – A Cowboys Reunion book 1 – Carolyne Aarsen …. A former cowboy returns to the site of heartbreak and betrayal – his family’s ranch. (quote from Amazon)

Heart of Gold   Heart of Gold – Serafina Lyndon … After the death of her troubled mother, Sienna Hart returns to her small, coastal hometown of Ruby Bay to help her estranged sisters with the estate. (quote from Amazon)


I did enjoy all of these books but I still liked the first one best.

It seems most of them are available free if you subscribe to KindleUnlimited. That’s a bit of good news at least.

Happy Reading!

 

 

Return to Paradise

There are no free books to share with you today. The regular daily emails arrived this morning but nothing they offered really appealed to me.

There are still some pending posts hanging around, started before the advent of Free Books Posts, maybe I’ll share one of them instead.

In case you are scratching your head in confusion – the original routine was to read books and then share the ones I liked, hoping to inspire readers. The posts were also designed to provide a place to keep a list, so I could remember what I’ve read.

The new routine is to share books at the time of download to make sure the books are still free for readers. I haven’t worked things through with the new changes, to figure out how to keep the read list updated. I’m not sure it makes sense to share the same books twice, unread and then read. Sounds like a lot of pressure – time wise. I’ll figure something out, given a little time.

So, without a free-books post today, why not use this list of books, read and liked. It would be a shame to waste something already written and nearly ready to go.

I loved all of these books

Return to Paradise Return to Paradise – Tim Speer

David has big plans. He needs a break from his stressful investment banking life. There is  a reunion and a wedding to attend. It’s all happening close to his parents and it makes sense to plan a few days with them before he heads back to work. A visit now will go a long way toward easing his conscience. He doesn’t get there nearly often enough to see them and now he’s desperate to make it happen.

He’s making good time and is on target for his planned arrival until an accident caused detour has him leaving the interstate highway, travelling back country roads. A cow standing in the middle of the narrow road slows him down but still, it should be okay. Well, it would have been, if his swerving lightweight sports car could hold the road. He won’t be going anywhere  anytime soon, not with four blown tires.

A kind and helpful passing farmer arranges a tow, but the news is not good. He’s told it will take days for replacement tires to be shipped in.  Car rentals and flights are not an option this far away from the city.  Money isn’t even enough to get him back on the road. It’s beyond frustrating, to be helpless and stuck.

With nowhere else to be, he hangs out at the local restaurant as long as they will let him. It’s impossible to spend this much time and not pick up on the tension and discouragement  most of the regulars are feeling.  His ears perk up at the sound of a few familiar  words and he decides he should pay closer attention. It appears most of the  area farmers are experiencing sudden unexpected foreclosures on their mortgages. They are  all scheduled to go up for auction next week which is highly unusual. He is convinced something illegal is happening in this town and the local banker appears to be involved.

At first he is desperate to leave but his conscience is starting to kick in. These are good people, they are in trouble and he can see the problem. He has connections. He thinks he can put together a plan to stop the sale of their farms. If he can arrange it in time. Of course, it helps there is the extra incentive of personal interest. One of the local girls has caught his eye and he wants to make sure her family property is safe from crooked developers.

The plan is daring, with a few pitfalls. Can he make it work in time to save them?

An engrossing story with tense moments. A great read.

 

A Rifle by the Door  A Rifle by the Door – Dan L Fuller… many tense moments but it is a great story of cheering on the underdog. Who says the little guy always has to lose?

 

The Spindle Chair  The Spindle Chair – Shellie Arnold.  The haunting story of one couple’s struggle to have a child.

 

Summer's End Northern Intrigue –  Summer’s End book 3 – Lyn Cote… This small town spent six years paying medical school expenses, expecting to receive six years of doctoring in return. Now the big city recipient wants out of the contract, for family reasons. They can’t afford to have her to walk away from her promise, their need is too desperate.

 

Yesterday's MailYesterday’s Mail – a box set with various authors –  Alana Terry, Cynthia Hickey, Hallee Bridgemann, Chautona Havig, Amanda Tru. All of them excellent authors, I loved every one of these books.

Happy Reading!

 

 

Free Oct 4, 2019

Only one again today – this time it’s courtesy of BookRunes daily email.

The Memory

The Memory

Elliot has lost his memory. A car crash stripped him of every memory but one. Seven years ago he fired an employee for unethical conduct which she denied and he remembers.

Determined to find out what’s so special about that particular memory he shows up in Geneva’s small home town to confront her looking for answers.  She’s in shock to see him standing on her doorstep, unannounced.

I’m not sure if this will turn out to be the worthwhile read I hope it is but I’m still hoping, anyway. It sounds like it has some good potential, and while 143 pages is short and  doesn’t leave much room for development, maybe it’s enough? I’m going to take a chance on it. My curiosity is piqued and I have to know.

Happy Friday all.

 Happy weekend reading to you

 

Free today Oct 3, 2019

Only one today. Pretty skinny after the last two days but, hey, we have time to read only so many, right?

Free, courtesy of BookBub’s Thursday email

Refuge at Pine Lake

“When God burns down your house, you know it’s time to move.”  What a great opening line. It had me hooked. 🙂

The characters are single, writer’s, dealing with grief, reservations at a B & B, on the beach.

It’s like walking into someone’s house saying … hey, this house is just like ________, except for ______ , and _____, and _____, …. oh, and ______ .  It’s the same –  only different.  That’s the way of this story, at first it sounds familiar  but you get into it, and then it’s not.

I’ve read the first fifty pages and I’m having trouble putting it down. Another day of good intentions down the drain.

Hope you are having a reading day as good as mine! lol