Author: For the Love of Books

A little of this, a little of that

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No books today, not yet anyway. Still, I feel agitated with the need to write something. This will be a just-write-something day and see-where-it-goes.

To be honest it’s been a stressful day, filled with a number of unexpected official news conferences. Political and health officials together, specifically to tell us; as of 12:01 Thursday morning our province is on total covid lockdown. Every thing non essential is to be closed. Essential services only but operating at reduced capacity.

Stay at home as much as possible, associate only with the members of your household. One person running errands.

This will be in place for a month at least but probably longer.

It’s been coming for a while and would have been here sooner, maybe, except officials were trying to give us a chance to get it right and flatten the curve without such drastic measures. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to do the hard work to get it done. Our province, Manitoba, has the highest positive numbers in the country and deaths are massive compared to the low numbers we had in the spring. I think we had eight in the spring compared to one hundred fourteen now. At the moment we have 5390 active cases. On a per capita basis that’s high.

Personally, this doesn’t affect me very much with of my hermit-like lifestyle, but I still feel very sad it has come to this again. It’s hard on the economy and it’s hard on the health care system, to say nothing of what it’s doing to peoples lives.

Never before have I heard doctors banding together to speak out publicly, about anything. If they are speaking out now, asking for a shut down before things get out of hand, it’s serious and I’m glad we are listening to them.

All of this sounds distressing, on the one hand, but on the other hand there is something hopeful about what we are going through right now.

For me, I’ve always likened the hard places of life to Boot Camp. You know, a military training camp for new recruits, with strict discipline. The purpose of boot camp is to whip us into shape so we can take on challenging tasks.

I think what we are going through right now is a little like boot camp. As a society we have gotten soft and spoiled, we’d not last long if we were faced with a major challenge. Not very long at all for some of us.

Life has no guarantees. We never know when tragedy will strike. Or if not tragedy then some other event that calls for courage and bravery. To think we are being called to get off the couch and develop some skills has a hopeful feel to it. If we develop muscles and strength during this pandemic, it means we will have a fighting chance if we happen to one day be faced with something bigger and unexpected.

So, to be honest – I take this situation seriously but I’m not feeling fearful. I’m feeling hopeful that we will come out the other side of this stronger and more resilient. Ready to stand up and fight for our lives if we need to.

I’m hoping most of us will look at this as the opportunity that it is. A chance to grow, and develop new skills. Skills you may need in an unexpected moment that could change your life.

I’m doing it. Embracing the chance to grow.

Speaking of growing … our writers group is having a Zoom meeting on Saturday and I agreed to present a review, probably about something related to writing.

This is a growing experience for me, especially if it involves non-fiction. I’ll probably share it here and you can help decide if it worked or if I should keep my day job. lol

I’ll be keeping my day job either way (just in case my boss is listening.)

Free and bargain books November 09, 2020

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Fickle, fickle, weather. A few weeks of unseasonable cold with heavy frost and snow. Until yesterday. It was +21c yesterday. Today… it’s -4c. How are we supposed to successfully adjust to such drastic flip-flop changes. I’m freezing, must add another layer, again.

At least yesterday was wonderful and much appreciated. It was a lovely day to tackle the last of the much needed yard clean up. It was warm and pretty and I hated to have my energy end before the day did.

I wonder if the warm memory will be enough to carry me through to next spring… probably not.

On the bright side … We have some enticing suggestions today.

This first one, suggested by BookBub, is written by a popular author on my TBR list.

The collections next in line, suggested by 1531 Entertainment, are written by authors new to me. The stories look interesting and I’m always keen to experience someone new.

A Scarlet Cord  is FREE. Deborah Raney writes thought provoking stories always worth reading.

Amazon quote:

In the four years since her husband’s death, Melanie LaSalle’s life has been consumed with managing the family design firm and caring for her five-year-old daughter, Jerica. The possibility of a new relationship is the last thing on her mind. But when Melanie meets Joel Ellington, a new staff member at her church, she is instantly attracted to his warm spirit.
As their friendship deepens, however, Melanie is troubled by something she can’t quite understand or explain. Joel past seems to be off-limits, even to Melanie. Because of her growing feelings for him, Melanie pushes her doubts away.

When Joel disappears, along with the contents of a church bank account, she can no longer ignore her suspicions.
Now, torn between her feelings for Joel and the evidence mounting against him, Melanie faces a heart-wrenching decision: to forget the man who gave her reason to love again or to trust Joel enough to give him her heart.

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Now, something on the lighter side … by comparison. Bargains too.

Love at Christmas Inn: Collection I

Amazon quote:

Nestled into five beautiful acres just outside Hope Creek, Tennessee, Christmas Inn is an unforgettable place known for its joyful atmosphere and festive setting. Holiday decorations adorn each room. Trees glittering with ribbons and ornaments, gorgeous wreaths, velvet stockings and pine-scented candles brighten visitors’ stay at this vacation spot dedicated to Christmas all year, every year. The resort offers all the usual enticements plus one unique amenity…love. The little white chapel behind the inn, built by the Christmas family in the 1890s, boasts bell tower bells that toll when couples fall in love.

But Christmas Inn has fallen on hard times. The chapel bells haven’t rung for many years, and this Christmas may be the final celebration at the resort…unless love finds its way home.

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Love at Christmas Inn, Collection 2

Amazon quote:

Nestled into five beautiful acres just outside Hope Creek, Tennessee, Christmas Inn is an unforgettable place known for its joyful atmosphere and festive setting. Holiday decorations adorn each room. Trees glittering with ribbons and ornaments, gorgeous wreaths, velvet stockings and pine-scented candles brighten visitors’ stay at this vacation spot dedicated to Christmas all year, every year. The resort offers all the usual enticements plus one unique amenity…love. The little white chapel behind the inn, built by the Christmas family in the 1890s, boasts bell tower bells that toll when couples fall in love.

Every year people come to the inn looking for their Christmas spirit. Sometimes they find love too. Will the bells ring again this year?

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This has been a good day for new books. All of them new to me, for a nice change.

Stay warm (or cool – depending where you are) and safe. We are experiencing a second wave of Covid that has gotten out of hand. I’m staying home, venturing out every other week or so. Hopefully things are better where you are but if not stay safe.

Enjoy reading,

I will be.

Along with a warm bowl of creamy potato vegetable soup.

Bargain Books November 08, 2020

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Another Christmas collection with a bargain price. One nice thing about these collections, the authors shift places from year to year, It keeps things fresh. Some we see often, others not so much.

Hearts Aglow: Four Christmas Novella Romances (The Christmas Lights Collection Book 5) 

Amazon quote:

♥ Potato Flake Christmas: by Cathe Swanson ♥

Matchmaker, matchmaker, who’s getting matched?

Both at crossroads in their professional lives, Claire and Jeffrey don’t need the matchmaking shenanigans of her grandmother or his great uncle. 

Although Jeffrey has fond memories of Christmas on the beach, Claire just can’t imagine Christmas in a land filled with cactus and a different kind of sand. Can’t we order a freak snowstorm from some online retailer somewhere?

Love is alive in the desert this Christmas.

♥ All I Want  by Toni Shiloh ♥

When Angel is tasked to decorate Bishop’s place, she longs to be seen for the woman she’s become. He just wants to get through Christmas with his daughter and get on with his perfectly ordered life. Time together changes everything as her heart unexpectedly touches his.

♥ Snow Crossed Letters: by Chautona Havig ♥

“…waitin’ for the matchmakin’ man with the (mail) bag…”

When packages go awry in a series of snowstorms that bury Rockland in multiple layers of white two residents find cheering the elderly to be a big surprise!

♥ This and Every Christmas  by Jaycee Weaver ♥
Christmases past and present collide in a humorous yet bittersweet tale of a widowed tree-farm owner and his daughter’s music teacher as they collaborate to create a future worthy of her family’s wacky traditions and his family’s legacy.

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Nothing else popped up as interesting. On the bright side though, this collection does include four books. Much better than just one.

Currently. I’m finishing up my latest read. It’s been good but I enjoy a faster pace. It’s been a little tough sticking with it long enough to reach the end. It has 362 pages but could easily have been cut back by 100 pages without damage to the story. It was a still good experience though.

A Family to Call Ours: (Front Porch Promises Book 4)

Young widow Tara Madsen has spent the last two years dealing with her eight-year-old daughter’s battle with cancer. Now a new job means the opportunity to give Hailey the best Christmas ever, but the arrival of Caleb Fitzpatrick, her employers’ son, and overreaching authorities put that goal in jeopardy.

Caleb returns to his small Massachusetts hometown with one mission—to make sure another charlatan doesn’t take advantage of his parents and their generosity. When he meets Tara, the new receptionist at the family business, he is immediately on guard. A pretty blonde fooled him once before, and he will make sure it doesn’t happen again.

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Maybe tomorrow will be better for awesome suggestions.

Happy Reading.

Bargain books November 07, 2020

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Today is another day of discovery. In the one-thing-led-to-another file a new-to-me author appeared and I’m excited to read a couple of her books.

All of these are bargain books and the first one to set things in motion was a BookBub suggestion. A collection by an author we’ve seen before.

Sisters by Design, books 1-3

Amazon quote:

Mac
After separating herself from the oppressive cult where she was raised, Mackenzie Soeurs has two dreams: to give her son Riley a better life than she had, and to live in peace, as far from the harsh God of her past as she can get.

Dane Cooper, Garfield’s former bad boy and groom left at the altar, can’t deny his initial attraction to Mackenzie. Neither can he resist the urge from God to mentor her delinquent son. How can he guard his battered heart and still give Riley the same second chance he was given? 

When Jesse, Charley, Randy, and Alex signed up for Mac’s first fitness class, they were looking for someone to whip them into physical shape.

Randy
Her soft side is buried deep… 
After surviving a traumatic childhood, Miranda Franklin grew up tough, fast, and convinced of her inability to ever nurture a child. Eli Page is the only man to earn Randy’s trust. For him, she will face her worst fear—spend a day caring for his granddaughter. When the unthinkable happens, Randy realizes she’s the same as her mother was—a monster. 

How can he choose…? 
Widower Eli Page devoted the last fifteen years of his life to raising his daughter Celeste. Now it’s time for his happiness. His future. But six weeks before his wedding to Randy, Celeste skips town, leaving her one-year-old daughter for Eli to raise. Randy wants no part in raising a child—but how can she expect him to turn away his own granddaughter? 

Charley
A MOTHER’S WORST FEAR 
Charlene Hubbard wanted the dream—a loving husband, a fulfilling career, and a few kids. When it looked like she’d have to settle for two out of three, God dropped a child into her empty arms. For fifteen years Charley kept the secret of that adoption close, fearful that the truth would make her less of a mother in the eyes of the child she loves. 

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Next on the list, two books

COMPLEX: A Sweet Small town Standalone Romance (Eron Outsiders Book 1)

Amazon qote:

The detective’s mother has gone missing. Her family is the prime suspect in her disappearance…

After ten years away, Sofia Wise returns home to mourn the loss of her grandmother, and she’s desperate to reconnect with her family.
When a dark, devastatingly handsome stranger shows up on her family’s doorstep, Sofia takes one look and is tempted to make her visit permanent. The problem is, the town’s detective is suspicious of her entire family, and it might take some convincing to prove that she’s more interested in the man himself than in the complex case at hand.

Trevor Freeman is a hardworking detective for the town of Eron. When his mom disappears, he blames the Wise family and will stop at nothing until they are brought to justice —that is, until Sofia Wise blows into town. The mysterious, beautiful member of the notorious Wise clan complicates everything, distracting him from his investigation and threatening to steal his heart.

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Beyond Repair: A Sweet Small town Standalone Bad Boy Romance (Eron Outsiders Book 3)

Amazon quote:


Hiding from her troubled past, Jules Demski sequesters herself in the mountains of Eron, Colorado, the only place she’s ever felt safe. Her solitude is shattered when an injured man staggers into her family’s barn.
Burned once and still in repair, the last thing she needs is another criminal on her hands. If she can only convince her heart of this, she just might be able to resist the interloper’s charm.


Former gangster Lorenzo Macedo has cleaned up his act, but now he’s running for his life. He stumbles upon a barn just as a bullet pierces his body.
Jules appears standoffish and cold, but the tender way she nurses Lorenzo reveals a soft-hearted, passionate woman aching for her own wounds to be healed. No woman has ever set his blood on fire like Jules, but he has nothing to offer her except a life on the run.
Can Jules and Lorenzo find redemption in the small town, or are their lives Beyond Repair?

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I’m definitely enjoying my current read. It’s fun and still a bargain. I like their quirky humor and snappy comebacks.

Christmas at the End of Main Street (A Nestled Hollow Romance Book 2) 

All either of them wants for Christmas are some jingle bells, to deck the halls, and for everyone to stop finding them dates.

Macie Zimmerman would love to get married and start a family. But after so much searching, she’s sick of having hope that something will work out. All she needs is a good six months of no dating– time she could spend building her business, Paws and Relax, and hanging out with the animals who show her all the love she needs– to be able to face it again. If only she can keep everyone in town from trying to find her a husband.

High school teacher Aaron Hall plans to never get married. He got engaged once, and it turned out as awful as his parents’ marriage had. But that doesn’t stop all his married friends from trying to convince him otherwise. And worst of all, his students are now determined to find him a wife before the end of the school year.

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It’s Saturday, I’m going to get comfortable and read awhile before tackling a few chores.

Enjoy the day.

Happy Reading!

Bargain books November 06, 2020

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I’m browsing for books today, with some success I might add. All three are bargain at prices too.

This first one I’ve read in a collection somewhere, can’t recall where but I do remember the story. I liked it a lot.

A Song to Call Ours: (Front Porch Promises Book 5)

Amazon quote:

Amanda Reynolds has always dreamed of being a songwriter and recording artist, so she drops out of music school and heads for Nashville. But when her car breaks down in a tiny eastern Tennessee town, her dreams take a big detour.

Mitchell Cunningham loves running his garage and repairing cars in his small hometown. But Amanda’s appearance makes him reconsider his priorities, especially the one about staying away from any woman who doesn’t share his small-town dreams.

When a big break in the Nashville music scene comes Amanda’s way, what will Mitch do to keep from losing the woman he loves?

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This next one is in the same series but, thankfully, it’s one I haven’t read yet. Glancing through the first few pages I think it will be next on my TBR list.

A Family to Call Ours: (Front Porch Promises Book 4)

Amazon quote:

Young widow Tara Madsen has spent the last two years dealing with her eight-year-old daughter’s battle with cancer. Now a new job means the opportunity to give Hailey the best Christmas ever, but the arrival of Caleb Fitzpatrick, her employers’ son, and overreaching authorities put that goal in jeopardy.

Caleb returns to his small Massachusetts hometown with one mission—to make sure another charlatan doesn’t take advantage of his parents and their generosity. When he meets Tara, the new receptionist at the family business, he is immediately on guard. A pretty blonde fooled him once before, and he will make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Will Tara’s sincere and giving nature soften Caleb’s heart and help him learn to trust and love again?

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Or maybe this one, it looks interesting. Everything about this book is new to me, I’m excited by new.

Christmas at the End of Main Street (A Nestled Hollow Romance Book 2

Amazon quote:

All either of them wants for Christmas are some jingle bells, to deck the halls, and for everyone to stop finding them dates.

Macie Zimmerman would love to get married and start a family. But after so much searching, she’s sick of having hope that something will work out. All she needs is a good six months of no dating– time she could spend building her business, Paws and Relax, and hanging out with the animals who show her all the love she needs– to be able to face it again. If only she can keep everyone in town from trying to find her a husband.

High school teacher Aaron Hall plans to never get married. He got engaged once, and it turned out as awful as his parents’ marriage had. But that doesn’t stop all his married friends from trying to convince him otherwise. And worst of all, his students are now determined to find him a wife before the end of the school year.

This Christmas, Macie and Aaron are teaming up to make everyone believe they’re dating each other so they’ll quit trying to line them up with others. But as this fake relationship takes them to holiday parties, events around town, and his school’s winter formal, and “fake” starts to feel “real,” can they overcome the obstacles in their way?

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I’m currently reading book two of this collection. Just started actually. I’m tempted to put this read aside in favor of today’s books but maybe I’ll persevere a little longer first. I had trouble relating to the characters in book one but with different author, different main character maybe it will go better this time.

Something Borrowed: Christmas Weddings Collection 

Book two:

All the Moore by Toni Shiloh — Leilah Anderson has been living behind the screen to hide her disability, then she meets Reggie Moore face-to-face. Can their relationship survive the truth and distance between them?

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This has been a good day for books, I’m pleased. I hope you are too.

Happy Reading y’all

Free and bargain books November 05, 2020

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I can’t believe how quickly the days are marching by. Nov 5th already, yikes. Christmas will be here next week at this rate.

I think a contributing factor to this sense of speed is books. When you’re lost in a book three hours feels like fifteen minutes. You finally look up, check the clock and realize the afternoon is half over, okay, mostly over, and you missed it all.

I wouldn’t change a thing. Anyway, let’s get on with the search here.

BookBub has a FREE suggestion for us. A collection of five books. Looks interesting.

Books 1-5 Collection : After, New Beginnings & The Excellence Club Christian Inspirational Series (Abundant Hope Book 1)

Amazon quote:

Book 1 – AFTER – Candace had a stunning voice but he plotted her downfall and the loss of her faith. When she falls before thousands, will shame win, or will her newfound faith in Jesus build her a new platform?

Book 2 – JABEZ – Born into a family where support was lacking, will his dreams fall before it began? Or will an encounter with a pastor change the direction of his life and destiny?

Book 3 – AFTER 2 – Blinded by tears, broken by rejection, and caught at her wits end, Blossom mistakenly plunges her car into the Potomac River and isn’t sure whether she will survive. Will she drown or can she be rescued before it’s too late? Will she trust God to carve her a fresh start while sinking to the bottom of the Potomac?

Book 4 – AFTER 3 – Harboring a secret that torpedoed every chance at finding love, can she trust God to lead someone who accepted her…including her challenge? His grief for a tragedy soured his choice to live. After his chance encounter with her, a future filled with sorrow seemed like a choice. Would he accept hope?

Book 5 – HER UNDYING FAITH – Sharon Parsons is no stranger to being different. However, she did not expect to fall in love with a man who not only didn’t share her faith, but any faith at all. When her heart gets deeply in love, and their faith differences more stark and impossible to ignore, what ends – his faithlessness or their marriage?

Dive into this beloved series by USA Today bestselling author Joy Ohagwu, hailed as a top 17 Christian Fiction Author, stories applauded by thousands, and hope-filled adventure and don’t stop until you flip the last page. 

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On the lighter side, maybe, there is a bargain Christmas Romance collection in the lineup. I think I’ve read some of these authors in other collections but I’m not sure. This will be an adventure.

Something Borrowed: Christmas Weddings Collection 

Amazon quote:

Old friends, new loves, and a borrowed tiara.

Always Been Yours by Jaycee Weaver — Hanady’s planning her dream wedding, but her injured best friend Keenan isn’t the groom. If she can’t see she’s marrying the wrong guy soon, his leg won’t be the only thing broken.

All the Moore by Toni Shiloh — Leilah Anderson has been living behind the screen to hide her disability, then she meets Reggie Moore face-to-face. Can their relationship survive the truth and distance between them?

A Holly, Bolly Christmas by Mikal Dawn — A dream wedding venue at Christmas? Sign Chahna Kapoor up. Even if her fiancé doesn’t know it…

Somehow, This Christmas by Teresa Tysinger — When not-so-merry mishaps threaten wedding planner Cate Forsyth’s holiday wedding and reputation, will her own happily ever after with sweetheart Noah Bennett melt away?

A Promise So Sweet by Andrea Boyd — Lydia Osborn hasn’t heard from her ex in ten years, so imagine her surprise when he shows up proposing marriage. Tis the season for love?

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I’m currently reading, enjoying, and almost finished …

Cape Corral Keeper (Saltwater Cowboys Book 3)

They agreed to marry. But they never agreed to fall in love.

When Cape Corral Fire Chief Dillon McGrath saves a woman wearing a wedding dress from drowning, he knows he’ll have a great story to tell the guys at the station later. He never expected to get personally involved in the woman’s plight to stay alive.

Gracie Loveland had no choice but to run only moments before saying “I do” to her manipulative fiancé. Staying would have ultimately meant her death at the hands of the cruel man. Desperation, along with a dormant feistiness, surfaces as she fights to survive.

Only one plan might keep Gracie safe and help Dillon preserve the island’s wild horses. The idea seems crazy, but Dillon and Gracie can think of no other options. However, a foe from Gracie’s past is closing in, determined to get what he wants regardless of whose life he destroys in the process.

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This has been a good day for books. I hope you are finding something you like in this new selection.

I think it’s time to go read a little before lights out, find out how it all ends.

Happy Reading to you too.

Free and bargain books November 04, 2020

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Today is one of those days where I haven’t posted in a while and the well is dry. What to do, what to do.

While I was trying to come up with a little of this and a little of that to talk about I opened Amazon and happened upon a FREE book I’d seen mentioned and then forgotten about a few days ago.

So, I guess we will start with a book. A novel idea hey?

I’ve read other books from this author and this one is not a bad place to start.

Southern Gentleman (Finding Love in the Low Country Book 2)

Amazon quote:

What’s best for the baby? Norah Brown must answer this question when Thornton Winter pushes his way into her life. Baby Camille’s parents, Thornton’s brother and Norah’s sister, were killed in a terrible accident. Now both feel responsible for the baby. But by the time Thornton comes along, Norah has already formed a strong bond with Camille. Will Thornton try to take the baby from her?

To keep her greatest fear from being realized, Norah reluctantly agrees to move with the baby to Thornton’s family home in South Carolina, where she soon finds herself in a battle of wills with his take-charge manner. It certainly doesn’t help that Norah begins to lose her heart to this Southern Gentleman.

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I tripped over another FREE book mentioned and forgotten about recently, in the busyness of life. I’ve read this one in the last year or so.

Her Deadly Inheritance (Jill Shepherd Suspense Book 1)

Amazon quote:

First a runaway. Now running for her life.

Won’t Jill’s family be surprised when she returns home to end their scheme to have her declared legally dead?

Clay Merrick may seem to be nothing more than a handy-man restoring homes, but when the former Special Forces operative tracks a brutal killer to Jill’s home town, he has most of the evidence he needs to bring the killer to justice … until Jill gets in the way. And when Jill exposes the mastermind behind her family’s murderous scheme, she ends any chance she has of remaining alive.

When the assassin moves in for the kill, it’s not just Clay’s mission on the line, but his heart.

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Book three in a series I’ve been reading has shown up as a bargain. I loved book one, didn’t enjoy book two as much but it was still good. Now I think I’d better give book three a try.

Cape Corral Keeper (Saltwater Cowboys Book 3)

Amazon quote:

They agreed to marry. But they never agreed to fall in love.

When Cape Corral Fire Chief Dillon McGrath saves a woman wearing a wedding dress from drowning, he knows he’ll have a great story to tell the guys at the station later. He never expected to get personally involved in the woman’s plight to stay alive.

Gracie Loveland had no choice but to run only moments before saying “I do” to her manipulative fiancé. Staying would have ultimately meant her death at the hands of the cruel man. Desperation, along with a dormant feistiness, surfaces as she fights to survive.

Only one plan might keep Gracie safe and help Dillon preserve the island’s wild horses. The idea seems crazy, but Dillon and Gracie can think of no other options. However, a foe from Gracie’s past is closing in, determined to get what he wants regardless of whose life he destroys in the process.

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Currently I’m reading a WWI historical novel. It’s not really about the war so much as it’s about family left behind to worry and make do as best they can.

Jane: A Fierce Heart (Harvey Girls Book 3)

Jane is determined to make the world a better place even when everything seems so bleak in this clean and wholesome historical western romance story.

Independent, red-haired Jane Harris is twenty years old in 1917 when war breaks out and changes her life. In her hometown of Beaumont, Virginia, she does her best to be a good sister, a good daughter, and to volunteer however she can for the war effort.
But it’s not enough. Her brothers, many of her friends, and the man she loves are gone to France, and Jane needs to do more than knit socks for them. She needs to be busy. She needs to leave home. Luckily, her mother understands, and soon Jane is interviewing to be a Harvey Girl.

The job comes with challenges she has never before experienced. Far away from home, she must stand against her adversaries, and sometimes against her friends. She will have to work hard to achieve things that come easily to those around her, but luckily she will learn that character triumphs over talent, especially when times are hard.

Watching a new world unfold all around her, Jane realizes she is changing too. Will she recognize the difference between childhood devotion and true love? Will she choose the man who can give her the love she deserves? And will he make it home safely?

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Well, this whole exercise has turned out to be much more productive than I ever expected which is awesome.

I’m going to poke my nose in this current book for awhile. The end is in sight and I’m ready to be done and start something new.

It has been a good book and I’ve enjoyed it but the downside is it has more detail than I have patience for. It’s time to move on.

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I have a short attention span when books are calling my name. Almost forgot to finish this off.

Now, I’m outa here!

Happy Reading everyone.

Read and Enjoyed – end of October edition

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It’s time once again for Read & Enjoyed.

This first one was a five star favorite. It is still available at the bargain price too.

Magnolia Storms (Coastal Hearts Book 1) 

Maggie Marovich couldn’t save her father or her home from Hurricane Katrina, but she’s dedicated her life to meteorology so she can warn others when the monster storms approach. Except…she works three hours inland and rarely risks returning to her childhood hometown of Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Both her single-parent sister and the ship pilot Maggie once loved refused to leave the Coast, despite Maggie’s requests. Now a hurricane’s headed toward Mississippi, and Maggie’s sister is seriously injured, leaving Maggie little choice but to head south—into the storm.

The water and tides flow through Josh Bergeron’s veins, and he can’t imagine giving up piloting—even for the love of his life, the infuriating Magnolia Marovich. He tried to move on without her, marrying and having a child. But after his wife abandons him and his little boy, his career choice is threatened by the weight of his parental responsibilities. Moving next door to Maggie’s sister and sharing their child care seems like the perfect set-up. Until Maggie blows back into town.

Being forced to lean on Josh for help washes up the wreckage in Maggie’s faith. Where was God during the destruction of Katrina? Why do some prayers seem to go unanswered? Between the hurricane looming in the Gulf and another gale raging in her heart, can Maggie overcome her past and find the trust to truly live?

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Ever Caring (Family Promises Book 1)

He lost his wife.

She gave up her baby.

Can these troubled souls find true love beneath their secrets?

Attorney Tate Truscott is ready for a fresh start with his grief-stricken daughter. After the widower and his eight-year-old move to a new town, he hopes creating a commemorative photo album will help ease the girl’s suffering. But when she makes fast friends with the scrapbook shop owner who is helping her with the album, Tate is stunned to find himself attracted to the kind woman.

Renee Albertson is guilt-ridden over the accident that crippled her mother and forced her to give up her newborn for adoption. Desperate to sell everything to finance her mom’s experimental treatment, Renee’s torn when a handsome dad and his melancholy daughter come to her store for help. And as the grieving pair find their way into her heart, she wonders if she’ll ever have the family of her dreams.

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This was also a favorite. It is called a cozy mystery, and it is, but there is a sober vein running through it adding depth and interest.

The Thing about Mustard Seeds: A Cozy Christian Romance

They watched a man die.

It’s been many years since Gentry and Rosling visited their hometown. It’s been even longer since they spoke to each other. When they were only children, they witnessed a murder. The pain of that day drove a wedge between them and has haunted them ever since.

Now, Gentry is the pastor of the local church—the same church where Rosling has taken over her dying grandmother’s duties. Together again in their small Southern town, the two adults wrestle with their faith. Gentry’s faith is strong, while Rosling struggles to believe at all. As they come face-to-face with the pain of their childhoods, they must learn how to be whole again, even when healing seems impossible.

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More …

A Wish for Christmas (The Happy Holidays Series Book 3)

Seasoned: A Love Story 

Ruby Jane: The Montana Marshalls 

Flight Risk 

Breakwater Protector (Saltwater Cowboys Book 2)

This Quiet Sky 

Melodies of Christmas Love: A Boxed Set Collection

Mistletoe and Murder: A Christmas Suspense Collection

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I’m currently reading and enjoying …

Jane: A Fierce Heart (Harvey Girls Book 3) 

Independent, red-haired Jane Harris is twenty years old in 1917 when war breaks out and changes her life. In her hometown of Beaumont, Virginia, she does her best to be a good sister, a good daughter, and to volunteer however she can for the war effort.
But it’s not enough. Her brothers, many of her friends, and the man she loves are gone to France, and Jane needs to do more than knit socks for them. She needs to be busy. She needs to leave home. Luckily, her mother understands, and soon Jane is interviewing to be a Harvey Girl.

The job comes with challenges she has never before experienced. Far away from home, she must stand against her adversaries, and sometimes against her friends. She will have to work hard to achieve things that come easily to those around her, but luckily she will learn that character triumphs over talent, especially when times are hard.

Watching a new world unfold all around her, Jane realizes she is changing too. Will she recognize the difference between childhood devotion and true love? Will she choose the man who can give her the love she deserves? And will he make it home safely?

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Happy Reading!

Story prompt – Company

/ For the Love of Books / 2 Comments

Sunday Scribblings initiator of these story prompts is hosted by peckapalooza – the Confusing Middle.

Company

Company led to Military and, in my mind, that thought led to one of my favorite movies.

Cadence

It was a terrible hardship but I had to watch this movie again this morning before I could lay pen to paper, just to be sure I had the story straight in my mind.

I was right, this is still one of my favorites even after all these years.

Filmed in 1990, starring Charlie Sheen, Martin Sheen, and Laurence Fishburne, the setting is a US Army stockade in W. Germany during the 1960s.

His father’s last ditch effort to help him grow up is the reason Private Bean was in the US Army in the first place.

Now, home on bereavement leave for his father’s death Private Bean is experiencing enough grief filled remorse to do some crazy things. Things like multiple tattoos – on his hands, rip – roaring drunk, starting a major bar fight, punching the arresting MP.

His 90 day sentence lands him in a minimum security stockade living in a tight security barrack.

His bully Sargent placed him with a group of guys he expected Private Bean to hate. The Sargent has an agenda to reform Bean and bring him over to his way of thinking, although it’s unclear exactly what that means.

To tell you what I like about this film I have to take a step back and look at the big picture. The bird’s eye view.

  • Things are not always what they seem.
  • We can survive impossible situations if we find ways to see the good in life.
  • If we let down our walls we can form alliances that will make us stronger.
  • An eclectic group of guys can become a brotherhood.
  • They stood up to the bully and won.
  • Most of all… I liked the song,
  • … and the fact the movie made me, and everyone else, cry.

This trailer sums it all up well, I think

Private Bean was in good company with these guys.

Free and bargain books part 2 Oct 30th

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

A new source for FREE and bargain books is Readers are Leaders found at email bookhub@inspireafire.com if you’d like to sign up.

Some of these book deals expire Nov 1 so I’m sharing quickly.

There were other books in the list but they didn’t all come up at the advertised price. Some were available on carriers other than Kindle, my only source is Kindle.

You may find it helpful to subscribe to this list directly if some of the other options would work for you.

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Mac (Ladies of Garfield Book 10)

Amazon quote:

After separating herself from the oppressive cult where she was raised, Mackenzie Soeurs has two dreams: to give her son Riley a better life than she had, and to live in peace, as far from the harsh God of her past as she can get. At least that was the plan until her son got hauled to jail for theft and she lost the mother she never truly understood. In the darkest moments of her life, Mac finds herself surrounded by a group of Christian women she can’t understand and a handsome man, willing to take her son under his wing.

Dane Cooper, Garfield’s former bad boy and groom left at the altar, can’t deny his initial attraction to Mackenzie. Neither can he resist the urge from God to mentor her delinquent son. How can he guard his battered heart and still give Riley the same second chance he was given?

When Jesse, Charley, Randy, and Alex signed up for Mac’s first fitness class, they were looking for someone to whip them into physical shape. What they found was a woman bound by a cruel history, suffering through a tragic present, and in desperate need of a friend…or four.

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This next FREE one sounds interesting. I checked to be sure and it is fiction.

Messenger Lillian Duncan

Amazon quote:

Life is perfect in NewAmerica.
No crime.
No poverty.
No war.
No discrimination.

Life is perfect as long as you’re a loyal citizen.
Life is perfect as long as you follow The Guardian Rules without question.

All religion has been banned, even uttering the name of God is a crime punishable by death. Magdalena Denton is an unlikely messenger, but when a patient braves the consequences to tell her The Guardians have deceived everyone about God, she’s determined to discover the truth.

Life is perfect in NewAmerica until the moment you wonder…is there a God?

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Seasoned: A Love Story

Amazon quote:

Two years after the death of her husband, Essie White continues to battle loneliness. Her romance-writing daughter suggests that her mother try online dating. Essie pushes back. True, soul-level love, only comes along once. Still, some male companionship would help pass the days.

Widower Lou Rizzo isn’t seeking love, either. He’s seen the horrors of war and the heartbreak of loss that follows when death rips apart a relationship. Once in a lifetime is enough. Still, a little companionship would help pass the days. Using an alias to safeguard his identity, he reluctantly accepts his friend’s dare and posts his profile on the dating site.

Essie and Lou meet, and their initial attraction soon develops into a friendship neither wants to lose. Lou, however, must confess his part in a decades-old incident that he feels Essie will not understand or be able to forgive. She, too, harbors secrets that may jeopardize their future together.

As the relationship grows, each must decide whether to reveal the truth about their past mistakes. Will fears and regrets ruin their chance to love again? Seasoned is a timeless love for the ages.

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Dead Man’s Watch (The Watch Series Book 2) 

Amazon quote:

SAVING ONE LIFE IS LIKE SAVING THE WHOLE WORLD

Half-sisters Kathryn Frasier and Cece Goldman stumble into another mystery in this second book in the Watch series. When a former acquaintance of Kathryn’s is accused of murder, she and Cece go on a mission to prove his innocence by finding the real killer. But things are never what they seem in this tangled web, and Kathryn’s spunky determination to solve the mystery pushes her closer and closer to a deadly climax.

Join the adventure as these two young women commit themselves to live up to the quote from the Jerusalem Talmud: “Whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world.”

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Three of the books are new to me. One of the authors is too. It’s a good day for fresh reading material afterall.

Happy Reading y’all