Author: For the Love of Books

Bargain book August 28, 2021

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

Male Authors. The subject of today’s search.

There are male authors showing up on my favorites list but in all honesty the vast majority of books featured on this blog are from women authors. I’ve been wracking my brain for names and can’t come up with more than a couple of handfuls. Most of the writers coming quickly to mind are people I’ve read in the last 10 years and I know there were many others prior to that. I am sure with a little more time many others would come to mind. To feature more of them I need to be intentional in seeking them out.

I decided to focus today’s deep dive on men and I’ve come up with a couple of writers I’ve not seen much of. I’m not going to share more than one at a time though or I may run out of material for future posts. I’m hoping that isn’t the case but you just never know.

Looking at the pricing on their books it seems to be structured differently for some of them. Maybe they don’t come up as bargains often enough for me to have noticed them. With that in mind, I think it would be a good idea to explore the possibility of ebooks through the public library. It would definitely help open up new possibilities. They may even have recommendations for me.

This first one is an author I’ve not read but a quick examination of his book has me wanting to.

Dead Lawyers Tell No Tales 

Amazon quote:

Landon Reed is an ex-quarterback convicted of organizing a points-shaving scheme. During his time in prison, he found forgiveness and faith and earned his law degree. Now he longs for an opportunity to prove his loyalty and worth. “Be careful what you ask for.“

Harry McNaughton is one of the founding partners of McNaughton & Clay—and the only lawyer willing to take a chance employing an ex-con-turned-lawyer. Though Landon initially questions Harry’s ethics and methods, it’s clear the crusty old lawyer has one of the most brilliant legal minds Landon has ever encountered. The two dive into preparing a defense for one of the highest-profile murder trials Virginia Beach has seen in decades when Harry is gunned down in what appears to be a random mugging. Then two more lawyers are killed when the firm’s private jet crashes. Authorities suspect someone has a vendetta against McNaughton & Clay, leaving Landon and the remaining partner as the final targets.

As Landon struggles to keep the firm together, he can’t help but wonder, is the plot related to a shady case from McNaughton & Clay’s past, or to the murder trial he’s neck-deep in now? And will he survive long enough to find out?

***************************

I’m hoping you will check out this author with me. Chime in with your favorite authors too.

Happy Reading.

Remember, I’m looking for clean.

Clean doesn’t mean boring. Not interested in boring.

Another read and enjoyed August 27, 2021

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

This was a good story but not a favorite. Not a very good lead-off for something to do with a favorite author.

I’ve read many of her books and have positive thoughts whenever I see her name come up. But the truth is, not every book written is going to be the author’s best one. It wasn’t all bad though, really.

Vanished in the Night (Wrangler’s Corner Book 6) is the book in question.

The Amazon quote is really short so I’ll use it.

After saving Kaylee Martin from abduction and delivering her baby boy on the side of the road, Dr. Joshua Crawford can’t get them out of his mind.

Unfortunately, neither can Kaylee’s violent stalker. He’ll stop at nothing to get to the new mom and her child. Can Joshua keep them safe so they can become the family he’s dreamed about?

******************

It was a good story, when I stop and reflect honestly. It was well put together and had new and interesting twists and turns. I mean they weren’t entirely new, it was the variations that were new and fresh.

I enjoyed the characters. They were well developed and not always as they seemed. Which was good for the advancement of the story.

So, I enjoyed the read. Mostly. There was one just one frustrating element. I know it happens in real life. We get lost in our heads, fixated on certain aspects that we worry to death. It works in real life but in a book it’s annoying, reading the same pieces of information over and over. It’s OK to reflect real life, but it pays to look at things from a reader’s perspective, to avoid frustrating them.

Overall, I liked the book and Lynette Eason is not in any danger of removal from my favorite authors list.

Now that I’ve said my piece I can figure out what I’d like to read next.

Happy Reading.

This and that August 26, 2021

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

A little this, a little that, and a whole lot of not-much.

Have you ever noticed how sometimes recharging a device seems to take forever? I have and I was inclined to blame it on the device?
It was frustrating, especially since it was a new purchase and my expectations were high. It turns out I was experiencing misplaced blame. This afternoon my Kindle was taking forever and I couldn’t wait long enough for it to finish. Tonight, having to plug it in already, it charged in record time. I guess the fault lies with the power grid not the device or the power cords.

It could even be the fault of neighboring power hogs. I wonder who that could be? Hmmmm. I know it’s not me, a couple of lights and a laptop is all I’ve got going on.

I’m sad, as I sit here blogging and looking out the window at the darkness of night. A couple of months ago it would be getting dark just about now, not this full on night thing. Summer is on it’s way out. That’s why I’m sad. To think it has gone by so quickly.

It’s a good thing, I didn’t put my Christmas tree away. In another two or three months it will be time to put it up again, this way I don’t have to bother. Besides I like using it as a shield to hide behind. Privacy screen.

I’m excited, in a couple of weeks two of my young relatives will be moving back to Canada, specifically to the area where I live. I can hardly wait to see them. I’m sad that I didn’t meet the criteria for them to spend their two week self-isolation at my house.

This will be a great adventure for them. And an even bigger adjustment as they have never lived here, they left as babies. I think they have been dreaming of it for a long while though. Coupled with early onset adulthood I think they are ready for what comes next in their lives. Living with their same-age cousins won’t hurt either.

Overall, I’m happy with life.

Now I just have to figure out what book I wish to read next.

Maybe I will give this one a try. It looks to be filled with spies and intrigue.

The Captain’s Quest (The Leeward Islands Series Book 4) 

Innocent mistakes can have dire consequences. 

Pricilla Middleton only attended the Lemoore house party to keep her friend out of trouble. Now, her only chance to keep from becoming a gossip column headline is to sneak aboard her brother’s ship and pretend she’d been visiting him instead of taking part in the debacle. Before she can speak to her brother, the ship sets sail, and the man in charge is not at all who she expects.

Captain Tobias Prescott, son of an infamous war hero, has been assigned on a critical mission to deploy warships in St. Kitts for battle in New Orleans. Unfortunately, his orders require him to assume command of a friend’s ship, and he must weigh anchor the instant the former captain is escorted down the gangplank. When they reach open waters, the last thing he expects is to find a woman hiding in the captain’s cabin, yet his mission is too urgent to return her to England.

*************************

I’ll let you now how it goes.

Read and enjoyed August 26, 2021

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

This will be short and sweet. No long explanations or opinions. They say short is popular in some crowds. Works for me tonight.

So, I have four books to share and I liked all of them. I can tell because it didn’t take me very long to get through them all.

Currently I’m reading and enjoying book 2 in the First Responders series by Susan Sleeman. Book 1, Silent Night Standoff is pictured above.

It took me a while to realize what that building was on the cover of Silent Night Standoff. It’s actually an old fire-hall, which seems much more appropriate than the old estate house that I thought it was. It was gifted to the county as a residence for the special first responders team and by the description it sounds like an awesome place.

Book 2 is Explosive Alliance

I’m having a good time. I hope you are too.

Happy Reading.

Bargain books August 25, 2021

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

BookBub has a suggestion for us, a book that’s been in my file since 2013. It says I’ve read it but scanning the first few pages I have to say I’m not remembering. It’s on it’s way to my device for a refresher.

The Forever Stone (The Dumont Chronicles Book 1)

Amazon quote:

The paperweight—a summons to courage . . . A new home, new love, new fears . . . and a mystery. How will she face the challenge? And what does God have in mind? ~ Madeleine, a young widow, is determined to break free from her paralyzing memories and controlling family.

The paperweight, a gift from her father, spurs her to declare independence, and she joins her aunt’s house-restoration project in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. Two men enter her life, bringing joy, conflict, and danger. She’ll need courage to fight the treachery she discovers, and faith to step into a new life of promise. Can she do it?

THE DUMONT CHRONICLES

The Dumont family, French Huguenots, settled in New Jersey during Colonial days. Certain Dumont women led adventurous lives, and they held in common the gifts of artistry, courage, and a growing faith in God. Madeleine Dumont Burke is one of them.

*************************

1531 Entertainment has a suggestion from a mystery writer we see often.

Rosemary Cottage (The Hope Beach Series Book 2)

Amy came to Rosemary Cottage to grieve, to heal, maybe even find love. But there’s a deadly undertow of secrets around Hope Island . . .

The charming Rosemary Cottage on the beach offers Amy Lange respite she needs to mourn her brother, Ben. She’s even thinking of moving her midwife practice to the Outer Banks community. It’s always been a refuge for her and her family. She also wants to investigate Ben’s disappearance at sea. Everyone blames a surfing accident, but Amy has reason to wonder.

Coast Guard officer Curtis Ireland has lost a sibling too. His sister, Gina, was run down by a boat, leaving him to raise her infant daughter. If anyone knew who little Raine’s father was, Curtis could lose his beloved niece. Yet he can’t help being drawn to Hope Beach’s new midwife, Amy. He even agrees to help her investigate what happened to both Ben and Gina.

Can two grieving people with secrets find healing on beautiful Hope Island? Or will their quest for truth set them at odds with each other…and with those who will go to any length to keep hidden things hidden?

*****************************

That’s it. That’s all there is for today.

Tomorrow may be better. In the meantime …

Happy Reading

This and that August 24, 2021

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

This is another one of those days when I’ve got nothing. Nothing to write that is. Most of the stuff on my mind isn’t appropriate for this post.

I’ve been closely following the debacle that has stunned the world. It seems we have been content to close our eyes to things and just coast along hoping someone else would take care of us. It will take some major courage to get the world out of the tough spot we find ourselves in. Our guys had the courage in WWII, I’m not sure how it could happen exactly but I’m sure our guys and gals could successfully rise to the challenge this time too.

The other news type thing on my mind is the whole covid situation. A fourth wave seems to be showing up in the last few days. Just when restrictions loosen up the infection rate starts rising again.

Along with that concern, we have a family situation where we need to find a isolation spot for teenage boys coming home after a lifetime overseas. I want to have them with me but there is one difficult hurdle to overcome. Other options may work out but if they don’t I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make it work out well for them. We will have to wait and see how it all turns out.

In regard to books, I can’t find it again but I was reading a book collection that was a retelling of fairy tales. Red Riding Hood and Cinderella were the first two. From my point of view they were really bad. I couldn’t bring myself to even read them. I removed the book from my device without taking note of the title. I wanted to share it with you and thought I could easily find it again but … no such luck. Maybe it’s better that I couldn’t find it. Kinder.

The sky is a heavy grey all of a sudden, I think another storm is supposed to roll through tonight, dropping some more rain. It’s funny, we had been having drought conditions and they were predicting a long hot summer. The prediction has changed, we are supposed to have more rain with cooler temps for the rest of the season. Winter shows up here the end of October/early November usually.

It will be interesting for our newly home teenagers, they have not experienced real winter before. It will be all new. They are excited and looking forward to it, I do know that. I don’t think they have seen snow and if they have it would have been a brief thing. Both of their parents have experienced full on Canadian winters and the kids have grown up with the stories wishing they could visit us in the winter. Their time has come!

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

How could they not love it?

Bargain books August 23, 2021

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

1531 Entertainment has a bargain suggestion from one of my favorite mystery writers. The sequel is also at a bargain price and I can’t help but go for both of them.

Silent Night Standoff: Faith in the Face of Crime (First Responders Book 1)

Amazon quote:

HOSTAGE SITUATION 

When armed robbers strike her bank, hostage negotiator Skyler Brennan’s life is on the line. Rescue comes from the last person she thought she could count on—the ex-boyfriend who chose his job over their relationship.

FBI agent Logan Hunter knows how much is resting on this case. The promotion of his dreams…and the safety of the woman he’s never been able to forget. But when an unexpected twist in the case pulls Logan in two separate directions, he’ll have to make an impossible choice.

Will he manage to have it all by Christmas—a career and love—or will he lose them both? 

****************************

Explosive Alliance: Faith in the Face of Crime (First Responders Book 2)

Amazon quote:

RACE AGAINST TIME 

The last thing Krista Curry expected to find in a soccer stadium was a time bomb. When she alerts explosives expert Cash Dixon, she becomes a local hero. But the attention could expose her real name—and the infamous past she fought to escape.

Cash promises Krista protection from the bomber’s retaliation. Yet she hesitates to trust him as she sees his suspicion about her grow with every question she dodges. She can’t expect Cash to continue to safeguard her unless she tells him the truth.

Now Cash must decide if she’s an innocent woman or guilty accomplice. But the clock is ticking down—and the real bomber is still on the loose…

**************************

This has been a good day for new books.

Currently I’m reading a piece that’s fluffy compared to hostage situations and bomb threats, but hey, fluff is good once in a while, right? It’s not total fluff though. It’s definitely got some angst and misunderstandings going on. They do say that tension makes a good story.

Love at Wild Harbor (Wild Harbor Beach Book 1)

One chocolate shop. Two fixer uppers. Three feisty sisters. One sweet love story to bring it all together.

Lily Woods never expected to start life over again at thirty. But when she opens a chocolate shop and buys a dilapidated beach cottage in Wild Harbor, she’s ready to begin a new chapter, spending her days and nights creating fabulous chocolate treats.

TV star Alex Briggs isn’t about to put his heart on the line. He’s finally landed his dream job as the host of a wildly popular home renovation show. Now he’s returning to Wild Harbor to flip a beach cottage, but he never imagined the project would land him next to the captivating girl who rejected him in high school.

Alex never recovered the piece of his heart he gave to Lily all those years ago. How will he keep his distance now that he can’t escape the girl next door?

Lily’s determined to fix up her beach bungalow on her terms, but Alex isn’t about to let her do it alone. Before Lily can stop him, Alex is on a mission to renovate her home and prove he’s the kind of man she can trust. But secrets from their past threaten to destroy their relationship before it begins.

**************************

Happy Reading!

Free books August 23, 2021

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

BookBub has a FREE suggestion for us. It’s historical, Second World War but the perspective is one I’ve not read before. The reviews for this seem to swing between loving and hating. Loving won out by a small margin. It is free so I think I will take a chance.

From Dust and Ashes: A WWII Historical Fiction Series (Liberator Series Book 1)

Amazon quote:

It is 1945, and a group of American soldiers liberate a Nazi concentration camp.

Helene is the abandoned wife of an SS guard who has fled to avoid arrest. Overcome by guilt, she begins to help meet the needs of survivors. Throughout the process, she finds her own liberation–from spiritual bondage, sin, and guilt.

Readers will be intrigued and touched by this fascinating story of love, faithfulness, and courage amidst one of the darkest chapters of mankind’s history.

****************************

LPC Books has a FREE suggestion also. I’m not sure about this one either because it seems to lean on the side of struggles. At least it’s free so it doesn’t hurt to take some time to think about it.

Outbound Train 

Amazon quote:

In 1976, memories from a night near the railroad tracks sixteen years earlier haunt Barbara Parker. She wrestles with past demons every night, then wakes to the train’s five-thirty whistle. Exhausted and dreading the day, she keeps her hands busy working in Bryson City’s textile plant, known as the “blue jean plant,” all the while worrying about her teenage daughter, Carole Anne. The whistle of the train, the hum of those machines, and the struggle to survive drives Barbara. When an unexpected layoff creates a financial emergency, the desperate pressure of poverty is overwhelming.

Unbeknownst to Barbara, Carole Anne sneaks out at night to walk the tracks so she can work at Hubert’s Bar. She’s hoarding money with plans to drive her mother’s rusty, unused Oldsmobile out of Bryson City, and never return. She only needs one opportunity … if she can just find it.

When Carole Anne goes missing, Barbara finds herself at a crossroad—she must put aside old memories and past hurts to rely on a classmate for help finding her daughter. But this is the same man she blames for the incident years ago. Is she strong enough—or desperate enough—to do anything to keep her daughter safe?

In Outbound Train, the Parker women struggle to make frayed ends meet in a town where they never quite do … at least, not without expert weaving and a bit of brute force.

************************

If I come across anything else interesting I will put it in another post.

Happy Reading

As promised: This Present Darkness

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

In my story prompt post this morning I promised to say more about a book mentioned in that piece.

The prompt was angels and I shared a book read many years ago – and never forgotten – where angels, both good and evil, were doing battle in the heavenlies.

Just to make things a little clearer as we go along, I do believe in angels.

This Present Darkness

Amazon quote:

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12

After the film in her camera is mysteriously destroyed at a small-town festival, reporter Bernice Kreuger knows she’s found something worth covering up. She brings the investigation to her boss, Marshall Hogan. Along with the local pastor of a struggling church, Hank Busch, they find something much bigger than they expected—a demonic plot to enslave their town and, eventually, the world.

The tiny college town of Ashton becomes the unlikely battleground in a cosmic clash between good and evil. Unseen by the human protagonists, armies of angels and demons wage war against one another in the spiritual realm for the souls of the people of Ashton. Up against supernatural forces, the future of the town seems bleak – but the power of prayer might be able to influence the outcome of the fight.

This fast-paced thriller birthed an entirely new genre, setting the standard for spiritual suspense. It has since sold over 2 million copies worldwide, sparking a renewed interest in the concept of spiritual warfare.

**********************

I do believe in God, and his angels- both good and evil. I think a book like this helps us, in a small way, to understand we are not alone in this world. And someone bigger than us is in charge.

I find it comforting that God is a living, relational being, and if we put time and effort into getting to know him he will become as close to us as our very best friend.

One more comforting thing: he has the heart of a father. He never forgets; not even one of his children. That means every single person on the face of the earth, whether we acknowledge him or not.

This whole thought of the fatherhood of God is a discussion for another day but think about it – no matter how good or bad the behavior of a child, does a parent ever forget and stop loving them?

I’ve noticed the answer to that question is no. In an interview, I’ve heard a broken-hearted mother say of her bomber son… but he’s my son, I still love him.

God loving us has nothing whatever to do with our belief.

I’m a mom, I know about these things. … my kids are my kids no matter what.

I’m grateful that God loves us, and he commands his angels to watch out for us whether we love him back or not.

If we resist his love, that can make protecting us a challenge for him. (think of a rebellious toddler and you will know exactly what I mean here.) Any way, another discussion for another day.

***********************

I wasn’t planning on any of this but maybe someone’s heart needed to hear it.

Happy book Reading.

Story prompt – Angel

/ For the Love of Books / 3 Comments

This story prompt is courtesy of Sunday Scribblings

Be an angel and bring me a coffee, will ya.

Thanks, you’re an angel.

It looks like angel is a word we use flippantly, much like the word love. In most cases the way we use it doesn’t really mean anything of any significance.

Wouldn’t we be shocked if there actually was such a thing as an angel?

Some of us must think they are real. There are movies, TV shows, sermons preached, and even books written about angels. With a little research into the ways they are portrayed I can tell I’m behind the times. I didn’t know there was a spin off of Buffy The Vampire Slayer called Angel. I wasn’t into a lot of TV back then and it looks like I was missing out.

There were other angel shows and movies I did notice, though, (Touched by an Angel, Twice in a Lifetime, Angels in the Outfield to name a few) and I have to say I enjoyed them immensely.

Then there are books, maybe movies too, where there are angels of both stripes, both good and evil, doing battle in heavenly places. This Present Darkness: A Novel by Frank Peretti is one of them.

Speaking of evil and angels, there is one story I’ve never been able to forget.

It happened in a primitive foreign country many years ago. A team of nurses and their helpers were accosted one night. They heard the war cry of a band of men who wanted to rob, torture, and kill them. They were terrified. Inexplicably, the band of men stopped, looked, and fled. They were faced with a circle of giants standing guard around the nurse’s compound.

It sounds hard to believe but I’ve heard stories similar to this more than once through the decades. Different time, different place, same story. I love to think that someone bigger than me could send his angel armies to protect me in drastic circumstances.

Again, we bandy about the idea of a guardian angel as liberally as we do the terms angel and love.

What if we really do have a guardian angel watching out for us?

If it is true, just think what life could have been like without them, without someone catching us all those times we should have crashed and burned.

I can think of a few times I should have crashed and burned but didn’t and I’m grateful beyond words.

There is a verse in the Bible …

Psalm 91 verse 11, it says “He shall give His angels charge over you. To keep you in all your ways“

I believe and I’m grateful for my guardian angel.

***********************

I couldn’t have planned it better. One of my daily emails had a book suggestion with a reference to angels. This saved me from having to find a picture for this post. I was having trouble finding one to do justice to my guardian angel. I will use this book cover to dress up the post instead.

I’m not sure how the angel angle works out in the Dead Man’s Journey story, not having read beyond the first few pages, but as the character in the opening paragraphs prepares to go for a run he senses an angel presence. Guardian angel.

On further thought: there is another book where I know for sure angels, both good and evil, are part of the story. Frank Peretti has written many books involving heavenly beings and this is one of them. This Present Darkness.

I’ll use a separate post to share more about this book.

They say the veil is thin between this world and the next. I believe that is true. We are not alone on our journey. God and his angels are looking out for us, more than we realize.

*****************

I hope you like the books.