Month: November 2021

Free and bargain books November 07, 2021

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I forgot all about time change, it’s a good thing our devices are set up to change themselves.

To be honest, I really didn’t care, I didn’t have anywhere to be. It was kind of nice, though, to get up and find out it was earlier than I thought it was. An hour added to my day. Bonus.

So on to books.

BookRunes has a FREE suggestion that turned into three books. Two FREE and one bargain. There are 10 books already in my library from this author so that’s a good recommendation.

Sweet Attractions: A Small Town Sweet Romance (Love Happens Book 1)

Once upon a time she believed in him. Now he’s banking on that faith to give their love a chance.

Ethan Young understood the town of Sweet Blooms had already passed judgement on him when he was born. He came from the wrong side of the tracks. The best he could hope for was not to wind up in jail. Lydia Mason saw something in him that made him into the wealthy entrepreneur he is today. Now the town of Sweet Blooms needs a miracle of money and investment to save it. Ethan Young will save the day if Lydia Mason makes an honest man of him in front of the town and pretends to be in a relationship with him.

The only two things constant in Lydia Mason’s life is living in Sweet Blooms and loving Ethan Young. When he comes back to Sweet Blooms, she’s not sure if the boy she loved is still in there but she’s willing to take a chance. Can a fake relationship give two souls the opportunity to discover feelings that never died and nurture a love big enough to heal a town?

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Silver Destiny: A Small Town Sweet Silver Romance (Silver Fox Book 1)

One had already known love.
One thought love wasn’t for him.
Together they’ll find an unconditional love that heals.

Robert Parker has been in the army and traveled the world. He comes back to retire in a place called home. He is resolved to live his life alone, but fate has other plans. He meets a widow named Delilah Cade– whose poise and quiet grace make him abandon any plan of bachelorhood.

Delilah Cade has already known the love of a lifetime. When her husband passed, she dedicates her life to her family. Now her grandchildren need her to help out in the family business. She pairs up with Robert Parker– a private and enigmatic man who reminds her that she’s still very much a woman.

When these two meet, their core values and beliefs will be put to the test. They will have to decide if it’s worth putting aside their old ways to embrace a new life and a new love.

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Finding Heaven: Hidden Treasure 9 (Hidden Treasures)

A treasure worth having is a treasure worth sacrificing for

Lawrence Meyers had his freedom and nothing else. No plan on
what to do or where to go. He had tried in the prison as a chef but
that was something that had kept his sanity and brought him pleasure.
Unsure of what the future held he was surprised to see Darian
waiting for him on release day in hand with a new life. It seemed like a
great idea until he has to face Delilah, Darian’s protective sister.

Lawrence knows he should leave. The town has too many memories
and he’s carrying a secret that could cause more pain. However, Delilah
is proving to be a dish he can’t resist with her fierce loyalty, fearlessness
and gentle heart he keeps giving himself one more day of heaven.

Lawrence and Delilah pour their love into their work. Can they learn to trust another
person and discover the love of a lifetime? Can they’re newfound love weather the secrets of the past?

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It’s a beautiful day out there and since most of the leaves are finally off the trees I’d better go out and clean them up. It will be lovely working in the sunshine.

Hoping you are having a good day.

Happy Reading!

Cheeky boys Nov 06, 2021

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Everything I post must be dated; how else will I remember where it belongs in the grand scheme of things whenever it gets a fresh like. Just sayin’

So, back to my cheeky boys.

I was relaxing with my game, watching a music video, and my gaze landed on my treasured Merry Christmas blocks.

There’s not too much I can say because everyone takes a turn at it. Even me sometimes, it’s fun.

I have to admit, these guys have quite the imagination. This is the cheekiest one yet. It is now the proud gold medal holder.

This all happened while I wasn’t looking last time they were here.

Their mom was watching though, and I can’t be sure but I think she enacted her power-of-mother veto on whatever wild and hilarious phrase they came up before they settled on this one.

I’m pretty sure I need to be saying thank-you.

Boys will be boys.

I’m still wanting to know what they had that was so funny before this one.

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Oh well,

It’s 10:25 PM. Do you think it’s too late for pie and ice cream?

Me neither.

Pie and my book, what could be better.

I’ll sit and eat my pie where I can look at my Merry Christmas blocks and dream about something wittier.

I think their gold medal is pretty safe at the moment.

Maybe I’ll just eat and read.

Bargain books November 06, 2021

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BookBub has an interesting suggestion for us. It is book 2 in the series and since book 1 is also a bargain I think we need them both. I suspect book 2 will make more sense after reading book 1.

Tomorrow’s Blessings: A Blueberry Beach Novel Book 2

Anitra Pollard has lived in Blueberry Beach all her life, an idyllic small, lakeside town where regular people go to escape real life.

Unfortunately Anitra’s real life couldn’t get much worse, despite the idyllic setting.

Her husband left not long before her oldest son was diagnosed with leukemia. Worse, the head doctor on the team assigned to her son looks very much like the man she had a short, but very sweet, summer fling with…and the father of the child she carries.

Her life couldn’t get any harder or messier, but she will let nothing get in the way of getting the very best care for her son, even if it means staying married to her cheating husband to keep his health insurance and rebuffing the overtures of the doctor who thinks he recognizes her.

Thankfully she has the support of her friends and neighbors in Blueberry Beach – her safe harbor in the middle of life’s storms.

But even they can’t protect her from the heartache of losing everything she’s always held dear.

Will her new baby be the beginning of tomorrow’s blessings?


Reviews for Tomorrow’s Blessings:

★★★★★ “Could not put this book down! …this story has interesting twists that keeps you reading; along with doses of humor that will make you laugh out loud. Life is sometimes hard and this book reminds us that God accepts us where we are.” -KBH

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Yesterday’s Treasures: A Blueberry Beach Novel (Blueberry Beach Book 1)

She doesn’t want a divorce, she just wants…something. Something more than being a single mom yet doing a man’s laundry.

After fifteen years of her husband never having time for her, Lindy Coats moves with her teenaged daughter to their summer cottage on the shores of Lake Michigan outside the town of Blueberry Beach.

With a lonely single dad on one side of her, a crochety old business owner on the other and a young mother with terrible secrets and a son fighting leukemia across the road, it doesn’t take Lindy long to discover that learning to enjoy life is less about what she chooses to do for herself and more about what she chooses to do for others.

As she sinks into the small town atmosphere, healing her soul and excited at a new business opportunity, her ex shows up, wanting to reconcile.

Can she decide between her bright tomorrow or come to see the values of yesterday’s treasures?

Enjoy this delightful, heartwarming beach read today!


Reviews for Yesterday’s Treasures:

★★★★★ “Jessie has written an absolutely beautiful story of forgiveness. This story and her characters are believable and relatable. She has perfectly described the raw and real feelings of a couple who’s marriage is in trouble…This is a powerful and gripping story.” -KKRG

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One thing for sure, the lives of these characters look messy. Very messy. It will add interest to the stories, no doubt about that.

If we are honest, messy is not all that unusual in human relationships. Some us may be able to relate and maybe even gain a little hope reading these stories.

Happy Reading this weekend.

This and That November 05, 2021

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This is another one of those days when my mind is filled with nothing and yet it is consumed with everything. It’s funny how that goes.

It looks like I will just have to start writing and see what comes out.

One thing I know for sure, it takes quiet thinking time to have usable thoughts already arranging themselves in your head. This week has been without any of those times. But I’m not complaining.

It turns out this has been a week for long conversations and I have to say it’s been very nice. A blessing really. Probably even an answer to prayer.

The isolation we have all been faced with in this covid situation, means times for enjoying friendly faces have been few and far between. For months on end. It takes a heavy toll on both our emotional and our mental health.

I’ve found there is an upside to forced loneliness though. There is a heightened sense of joy in unanticipated visits. Even if they are only on the phone.

There were three such visits this week that stand out for me. The one thing making each of these visits special was the topic of conversation. In all three cases the subjects were specialized. How often does it happen that you find someone not bored to tears when some of these conversations come up. Not very often, trust me. That’s why I enjoyed these instances so much. Two of them I rarely get to talk about.

There was distance involved but it didn’t matter. That’s the beauty of a phone call, hundreds of miles mean nothing. Unless the reception is terrible. Technology is one of the appreciated blessings of our modern age.

One of the three visits though, was local and in person. How nice was that, to see a face I’ve not seen in months.

There is one lasting resolution for me, coming out of this pandemic season. I plan to put more effort into treasuring the important people in my life.

Keeping in touch and connecting with friends and loved ones has taken on a new urgency.

The personal benefit coming out of all this?

There is something about spending time with people that puts a lightness on inside and a smile on the outside.

What can be better than that after the gloom of covid?

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

Read and enjoyed November 05, 2021

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I have a couple of books to share. They were different styles but both were enjoyable in their own way.

This first did not turn out the way I expected. It was kind of nice actually. A surprise ending is always a good thing.

The second book was my favorite though.

Caitlyn’s Christmas: A Christian Romantic Suspense (Smoky Mountain Secrets Book 7)

When an injured cat runs across the road, Caitlyn doesn’t hesitate to rescue the feline. But she isn’t prepared to witness a brutal murder. She slips away, only to lock eyes with the murderer, recognizing him as someone she’d seen earlier.

Now the killer knows who she is, too. Caitlyn calls her cop friend Devon Rainer for advice, humbled when he agrees to protect her.

Devon is concerned about Caitlyn’s safety, especially after they return to the scene of the crime to find the dead woman gone without a trace. The escalating attacks against Caitlyn, prove the killer intends to silence anyone who can identify him. Devon’s priority is to keep Caitlyn safe, while finding the killer. Will they survive long enough to celebrate Christmas and their newfound love?

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Whispers of the Heart: A Regency Romance (Soldiers and Sweethearts Book 2) 

Miss Ann Whyte has been sent to London under the care of one Earl of Ware, doing so to honor a promise to her brother. Attempting to make the best of the situation, she is deeply affronted when the Earl ignores her entirely and thrusts her into the care of his mother. Ann determines to throw herself into society and hopes to quickly find a suitor, thinking that no gentleman could be worse than her host!

Geoffrey, the Earl of Ware, cannot help but be attracted to Miss Whyte but resolves not to be distracted by her. Hearing that French spies may already be in London and having been forced to return home from the war himself, Geoffrey is determined to protect his country. However, when other gentlemen begin to pursue Miss Whyte, Geoffrey struggles with his feelings. When Miss Whyte finds herself unknowingly in danger, Geoffrey knows he must protect her.

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Free and bargain books November 04, 2021

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BookBub has a FREE suggestion for us. This book popped up several years ago and I still remember the read.

Refuge at Pine Lake: A Pine Haven Novel

A twenty-six-year-old former kindergarten teacher, has her summer and her life all figured out. She’s ready to be on her own, writing and illustrating her children’s stories at her family’s beloved lake house. Once there, she intends to rekindle a romance with Caleb Jackson, the area’s top hunting and fishing guide, and bag him for herself.

Complications arise from the start when Robin finds out her mother has rented the lake house to a man they know nothing about. Matthew McLaughlin, forty-year-old widowed university professor and author from California, shows up at Pine Lake in crisis. A sabbatical might be his only hope to save much more than his career. He needs a place of refuge.

Sharing the lake house with a lighthearted young woman and her dog is the last thing on his mind. Caleb Jackson has his own plans. He’s used to things going his way, but a man staying in Robin’s house presents unforeseen challenges. When paths unavoidably entangle for these three, hearts are on the line.

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1531 Entertainment has an interesting suggestion. I love it when the story line does not resemble anything I’ve ever read before. I’ve not read one like this one.

A Lady in Attendance

Five years in a New York state reformatory have left a blemish on Hazel’s real name. So when she takes a job as Doctor Gilbert Watts’s lady in attendance in 1898, she does so under an alias. In the presence of her quiet and pious employer, Hazel finds more than an income. She finds a friend and a hope that if she can set her tarnished past in order, she might have a future after all.

As Gilbert becomes accustomed to the pleasant chatter of his new dental assistant, he can’t help but sense something secretive about her. Perhaps there is more to this woman than meets the eye. Can the questions that loom between them ever be answered? Or will the deeds of days gone by forever rob the future of its possibilities?

Rachel Fordham pens a tender tale of a soft-spoken man, a hardened woman, and the friends that stand by them as they work toward a common purpose–to expunge the record of someone society deemed beyond saving–and perhaps find love along the way.

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It’s another beautiful day here.

Hopefully you’re enjoying a nice day too wherever you live.

At least with a good book if nothing else.

Happy Reading

Bargain books November 03, 2021

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BookBub has an interesting suggestion for us. One I’ve read and enjoyed.

Deadly Proof (Atlanta Justice Book #1)

Riveting New Series Offers Legal Suspense with a Romantic Twist

In the biggest case of her career, attorney Kate Sullivan is tapped as lead counsel to take on Mason Pharmaceutical because of a corporate cover-up related to its newest drug. After a whistleblower dies, Kate knows the stakes are much higher than her other lawsuits.

Former Army Ranger turned private investigator Landon James is still haunted by mistakes made while serving overseas. Trying to forget the past, he is hired by Kate to look into the whistleblower’s allegation and soon suspects that the company may be engaging in a dangerous game for profit. He also soon finds himself falling for this passionate and earnest young lawyer.

Determined not to make the same mistakes, he’s intent on keeping Kate safe, but as the case deepens, it appears someone is willing to risk everything–even murder–to keep the case from going to trial.

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1531 Entertainment has a fun suggestion. I use that word loosely. It has serious stuff going on but is promised to be fun.

Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind: A Novel

Miss Julia, a recently bereaved and newly wealthy widow, is only slightly bemused when one Hazel Marie Puckett appears at her door with a youngster in tow and unceremoniously announces that the child is the bastard son of Miss Julia’s late husband. Suddenly, this longtime church member and pillar of her small Southern community finds herself in the center of an unseemly scandal-and the guardian of a wan nine-year-old whose mere presence turns her life upside down.

With razor-sharp wit and perfect “Steel Magnolia” poise, Miss Julia speaks her mind indeed-about a robbery, a kidnapping, and the other disgraceful events precipitated by her husband’s death. Fast-paced and charming, with a sure sense of comic drama, a cast of crazy characters, and a strong Southern cadence, Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind will delight readers from first page to last.

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This last book may be my next read although it may take awhile. I’ve spent far too much time paying attention to the Governor election races in the US. I’m happy about the results on some of them though. Crazy times.

I hope you enjoy these mysteries.

Happy Reading

Free and bargain books November 02, 2021

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1531 Entertainment has several suggestions for us.

Mysteries, all.

Starving Hearts (Triangular Trade Trilogy Book 1)

“Not only is this a delightful regency romance but it is also suspense filled mystery of the very best kind.” ~ Amazon review

“The author did a great job, maybe too great a job, describing the slave scenes. Spine tingling and suspenseful. I was biting my nails throughout much of this book.” ~ Amazon review

Plagued by nightmares, Annette yearns to find her anonymous rescuer — the man who saved her life from a near deadly assault. Deep inside she is starving for companionship and a mutually respectful relationship.

When Mr. Peter Adsley, an abolitionist pastor dealing with his own emotional baggage, agrees to a clandestine meeting, the event appears providential. But self-doubt, deception, and the schemes of a mutual enemy threaten to keep the pair apart. A phantom adversary will stop at nothing to win Annette’s dowry for himself, even if it means killing Peter.

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Hush (Amelia Island Suspense Book 1)

Lacey Campbell dreams murders before they happen.

The night she dreams of a man strangling a young woman while crooning the lullaby “Hush, Little Baby,” she tries to convince herself it doesn’t mean anything. The next day she’s horrified to learn her dream was reality. Then she dreams the second murder….

Detective Ford Jamison is called in to help the local police, and he soon has a working theory about the murders. His belief that the killer is using the lullaby as a “blueprint” to target women who resemble Lacey, doesn’t slow the killings. Lacey is now afraid to fall asleep at night because the next face she sees in her dream might be her own.

As a hurricane churns ever closer to the little coastal town, danger and suspicion spins out of control. Time is running out. Can they stop the killer before the last verse of the lullaby?

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I’m betwixt books again and I think I’m going to check out a Christmas story for my next read. Another mystery.

Caitlyn’s Christmas: A Christian Romantic Suspense (Smoky Mountain Secrets Book 7) 

When an injured cat runs across the road, Caitlyn doesn’t hesitate to rescue the feline. But she isn’t prepared to witness a brutal murder. She slips away, only to lock eyes with the murderer, recognizing him as someone she’d seen earlier. Now the killer knows who she is, too. Caitlyn calls her cop friend Devon Rainer for advice, humbled when he agrees to protect her.

Devon is concerned about Caitlyn’s safety, especially after they return to the scene of the crime to find the dead woman gone without a trace. The escalating attacks against Caitlyn, prove the killer intends to silence anyone who can identify him. Devon’s priority is to keep Caitlyn safe, while finding the killer. Will they survive long enough to celebrate Christmas and their newfound love?

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Happy Reading!

On my mind today November 01, 2021

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It was a good decision!

A year ago when I put up my Christmas tree I had no thoughts of keeping it up long term. After a few months I thought why not?

Who would have ever guessed the year would fly by so fast that here we are again. Time to put up the tree. What, you disagree? My neighbors are all doing it, I’m in good company. And it has taken no effort at all. I love it.

My one concession to ending the season was the lights. I haven’t turned them on since about February.

I’m pleased I don’t have to go to all that trouble this year.

The added bonus was the privacy screen it provided. I can sit at the table and read as long as I wish and the neighbors are none the wiser.

At least I don’t think they can still tell I’m there.

Oh well, at least I can’t still see them

That reminds me of my eldest son when he was about two.

He figured if he put his hand over his eyes as he walked out of his room that we wouldn’t be able to see him. So Cute!

I wish I had a picture of that!

He’s pretty smart, it didn’t take him long to figure it out.

Photo by freestocks.org on Pexels.com

These ornaments could even be mine.

Did I mention there are still Christmas decorations in almost every room?

Yup!

Understated, of course.