Author: For the Love of Books

This and that, August 05, 2021

/ For the Love of Books / 3 Comments

I’m cheating, it’s two minutes to midnight. If I dawdle it will soon be August 5th, barely, so I’m not lying. It can still be tomorrow even if I haven’t been to bed yet, right? A sleep shouldn’t be mandatory to make it so.

I decided to go ahead and do a this and that post now as I’m still awake and tomorrow is going to be busy. I’m on a roll, up to 53 days in a row, I don’t want to take a chance on messing that up without a really good reason.

I’m still awake because we have a thunder and lightning storm going on. It was pretty loud there for awhile although it has calmed down a bit at the moment. Things can change in short order though.

Two good things about this storm – First, it cools things off, which is very nice, and the rain helps clear the smoke hanging around from all the forest fires in the area, and second, we need the moisture. It as been so dry this summer.

Tomorrow will be busy because I have some stuff going on and on top of that I have an appointment to get the covid shot. I qualified for it months ago but have been reluctant. For a number of reasons. I’m still somewhat reluctant but reason says I need to go ahead and do this. Who knows what the future holds, I may be thankful I did it.

Sounds like it’s raining out there again but I think it must be my imagination.

Talking about the garden, the bunnies are stunting my plants by eating the young growth off some of them. One of the worst is a bush I planted last year. It’s smaller now than when I planted it, it’s supposed to end up about 3-4 feet high. It’s not going to make it at this rate. I was trying to figure what I could use to protect it and I came up with the bright idea to use small branches from pruning one of the fast growing bushes in the backyard. I formed them into a sort of lattice work fence, close enough together that the bunnies won’t fit through the spaces. So far it seems to be working but I may have created another problem for myself. What if the branch cuttings root themselves where they are stuck into the ground? Hopefully the bush I am protecting will grow fast so I can take down the bunny fence before that happens. I’m not holding out too much hope, though.

I don’t think we have had any strikes tonight quite as strong as the brightest one in this picture but in general this is about what life looks like around here. Flat with lots of light flashing in the clouds.

Photo by Amol Mande on Pexels.com

The last big storm we had back in June, one of the lightening strikes hit a transformer here in town and we were without power for a number of hours. I hear it was quite spectacular.

I’m pretty sure tonight’s storm won’t be like that.

It’s 1 AM, I’d better go have that sleep so I’ll be ready for whatever tomorrow holds. Got to be in good shape for that shot.

Later!

Read and enjoyed August 04, 2021

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

Three books, enjoyed equally but they were all different. The only similarity between them, they were all Mysteries.

All of them displayed the characteristics I like best in a good mystery. They kept me guessing, clues were given out subtly, all through the story. The characters were interesting and well developed. The story moved along at a comfortable pace.

The third book was the one with a big difference and it was much appreciated in a last read. After the intensity of stress and intrigue in the first two mysteries it was a nice change of pace to have a bit of fun with a zany character or two. It did start off with the grizzly discovery of a dead body so it wasn’t all fun and games. The introduction of comic relief was a nice change of pace, though, sprinkled liberally through the story like it was.

All three authors are favorites too, guaranteeing these reads would be attractive.

Fatal Strike

There’s a killer on the loose in Galveston, targeting law enforcement officials and using a fatal injection of snake venom to take them down. Authorities have reasons to believe the Veneno gang is behind the hits, and FBI Agents Leah Riesel and Jon Colbert team up to track down those responsible. Their best lead is an eyewitness who identifies a young man dumping the third body on a church doorstep. But their suspect has gone into hiding, and those closest to him are reluctant to reveal anything that might help investigators find him.

As Leah and Jon check connections among the victims and dig deeper into motives, they discover appearances may be deceiving. Someone is desperate to keep their secrets hidden, and Leah and Jon must face their greatest fears in order to stop the next fatal strike.

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

The Killing Tide (Coastal Guardians Book #1)

When one Coast Guard officer is found dead and another goes missing, Coast Guard Investigative Service special agent Finn Walker faces his most dangerous crime yet. His only clues are what little evidence remains aboard the dead officer’s boat, and the direction the clues point to will test Finn and the Guard to their limits.

When investigative reporter–and Finn’s boss’s sister–Gabby Rowley arrives, her unrelenting questions complicate an already volatile situation. Now that she’s back, the tug on Finn’s heart is strong, but with the risks she’s taking for her next big story, he fears she might not live through it.

Thrown together by the heinous crime, Finn and Gabby can’t ignore the sparks or judgments flying between them. But will they be able to see past their preconceptions long enough to track down an elusive killer, or will they become his next mark?

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

Deadman’s Float: A Cozy Culinary Mystery with an Adorable Dog, a Zany Ice Cream Lady, and an Unforgettable Ice Cream Truck (Crime à la Mode Mysteries Book 1)

USA Today bestselling author Christy Barritt takes readers to the mysterious, quirky island of Lantern Beach, North Carolina, in this charming cozy series!

It all started with a runaway dog.

Meet Serena Lavinia: part-time ice cream truck driver, part-time reporter, and full-time woman of mystery. She never expected to find a cute little terrier while on her morning ice cream route on the island of Lantern Beach. 

Nor did she expect the dog to be carrying a bloody shoe.

When a dead body is discovered floating in a nearby pool, Serena becomes fully immersed in her very own who-done-it. But her investigation hits a snag when a new foe arrives in town. Webster Newsome has been appointed the town’s new newspaper editor—a job Serena wanted—and the man is entirely too bossy.
As it becomes clear that Serena’s dog is somehow tied with the crime, Serena knows she must find the killer. She’ll take on whatever persona necessary to ensure answers are found, even if it means becoming Sherlock . . . Sherlock Cones.

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

Currently, I’ve just started a speculative historical what if. What if history has it all wrong and she didn’t die after all? Wouldn’t that be a nice turn of events? I’ve barely started this story but the writing is interesting so far and I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes.

A Life Renewed: A Christian Mystery Romance (Secrets of the Queens Book 1) 

In 1554, Lady Jane Grey, “The Nine Days’ Queen” was executed for high treason.
But what if, instead of feeling the blade on her neck she secretly survived?

Escaping execution, Lady Jane hides as a peasant girl in a principality in Germany. She loves the simple life and never wants to return to England. But her benefactor, a power-hungry German prince, wants to march on London and place her on the English throne again, thereby increasing his dominance in Europe. If she doesn’t agree with his plan, her beloved childhood nurse will be put to death. Desperate for help, Jane must put her trust in the mysterious spy Asher Hayes.

Asher Hayes is done rounding up Protestants for “Bloody Mary” and wants nothing more than to live a quiet life as a farmer and expunge the blood of many from his hands. Except Queen Mary isn’t done with him yet. She throws his father, mother, and sister into prison on false charges in order to force him to accept one last mission – find and kill Lady Jane Grey. But when Asher discovers Lady Jane isn’t a threat to the throne as he believed her to be, he faces a devastating decision – does he sacrifice his family for the woman who reigns in his heart?

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

Happy Reading!

Bargain books August 03, 2021

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

BookBub has another bargain suggestion for us from a favored author. This lady knows how to crank them out.

Mountain Survival (K-9 Search and Rescue Book 3)

Amazon quote:

An injured victim has disappeared…

Can a park ranger and her K-9 find him?

When search-and-rescue park ranger Autumn Mercer and her K-9 partner, Sherlock, meet a stranger in the mountains whose brother is injured, they drop everything to help. But all they find where Derek Peterson last saw his sibling is a trail of blood—and men who want them dead.

With gunmen closing in, can Autumn and Derek survive long enough to save his brother?

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

I like having multiple books to share with you but today I’m quitting after a brief and fruitless search for more bargains.

I’m feeling bogged down and overwhelmed by my backlog of unread books, currently sitting at 271. I’ve been trying to rush through to bring the numbers down but I’m not gaining nearly as much ground as I’d hoped. It’s summer, there are other things going on.

It’s quite possible that tomorrow I will have forgotten I’m overwhelmed and there will be multiple books again. You just never know how quickly moods can change. And if there were multiple attractive suggestions, well … no question, there would be more books.

Attractive books are impossible to resist!

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

Currently I’m reading a thriller that is not easy to put down.

The Killing Tide (Coastal Guardians Book #1)

When one Coast Guard officer is found dead and another goes missing, Coast Guard Investigative Service special agent Finn Walker faces his most dangerous crime yet. His only clues are what little evidence remains aboard the dead officer’s boat, and the direction the clues point to will test Finn and the Guard to their limits.

When investigative reporter–and Finn’s boss’s sister–Gabby Rowley arrives, her unrelenting questions complicate an already volatile situation. Now that she’s back, the tug on Finn’s heart is strong, but with the risks she’s taking for her next big story, he fears she might not live through it.

Thrown together by the heinous crime, Finn and Gabby can’t ignore the sparks or judgments flying between them. But will they be able to see past their preconceptions long enough to track down an elusive killer, or will they become his next mark?

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

Happy Reading, y’all

Free and bargain books August 2, 2021

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

BookBub has a FREE suggestion for us. This was on my reading list in 2017 and I can still vividly remember this story. If I had time I would read it again. It was unpredictable, that was one of the things I loved the best about this book.

Stealthy Steps (Nanostealth Book 1) 

Amazon quote:

My name is Gemma Keyes. Other than my name, I am utterly forgettable—so those who never paid much attention to me in the first place haven’t exactly noticed that I’ve disappeared. Vanished. Oh, it’s much more complicated than it sounds. I’ve had to learn the hard way: Invisibility comes with its own set of problems.

I should tell you about Dr. Daniel Bickel, world-renowned nanophysicist. We used to work together, but I’ll be candid with you: He’s supposed to be dead. Well, he’s not. (Imagine my surprise.) Instead of the proverbial “six feet under,” he’s subsisting in an abandoned devolution cavern beneath the old Manzano Weapons Storage Facility on Kirtland Air Force Base here in Albuquerque.

“I need to show you what I’m protecting here, Gemma,” he insisted.

I stared into the clear glass case. I could hear . . . humming, clicking, buzzing. A faint haze inside the box shifted. Dissolved. Came back together. Reminded me of how mercury, when released on a plate, will flow and form new shapes. Only this, this thing was “flowing and forming” in midair.

“Do you see them?” Dr. Bickel asked.

“Them?” I was confused. My mouth opened to a stunned “o” as the silver haze resolved into blue letters.

H E L L O

Dr. Bickel hadn’t pressed any buttons. Hadn’t said anything to them. Hadn’t gestured.

He grinned. “Ah. They’ve noticed you. They know they haven’t seen you before.”

“Well, I wish they wouldn’t notice me!” I choked on the words, my eyes fixed on the glass case.

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

1531 Entertainment has a bargain suggestion for us, It’s a four book collection, two of them are in my downloads and I’ve read one of them. I do enjoy this author.

The Complete Shepherd’s Heart Series: A Boxed Set Book Bundle Collection Volumes 1-4

Amazon quote:

1. Rocky Mountain Oasis:
Brooke Baker, sold as a mail-order bride, looks to her future with dread but firm resolve. If she survived Uncle Jackson, she can survive anyone.

When Sky Jordan hears that his nefarious cousin has sent for a mail-order bride, he knows he has to prevent the marriage. No woman deserves to be left to that fate. Still, he’s as surprised as anyone to find himself standing next to her before the minister.

Brooke’s new husband turns out to be kinder than any man has ever been. But then the unthinkable happens and she holds the key that might save innocent lives but destroy Sky all in one fell swoop. It’s a choice too unbearable to contemplate…but a choice that must be made.

2. High Desert Haven:
When her husband dies in a mysterious riding accident, Nicki Trent is left with a toddler and a rundown ranch. Determined to bring her ranch back from the brink of death, Nicki hires handsome Jason Jordan to help. But when William, her neighbor, starts pressing for her hand in marriage, the bank calls in a loan she didn’t even know about, bullets start flying, and a burlap dummy with a knife in its chest shows up on her doorstep, Nicki wonders if this ranch is worth all the trouble.

To make matters worse, terrible things keep happening to her neighbors. When her friend’s homestead is burned to the ground and William lays the blame at Jason’s feet, Nicki wonders how well she knows her new hand…and her own heart.

3. Fair Valley Refuge:
Victoria Snyder, adopted when she was only days old, pastes on a smile for her mama’s wedding day, but inside she’s all atremble. Lawman Rocky Jordan is back home. And this time he’s got a bullet hole in his shoulder and enough audacity to come calling. Since tragedy seems to strike those she cares for with uncanny frequency, she wants nothing to do with a man who could be killed in the line of duty like her father.

But when an orphan-train arrives at the Salem depot, Victoria is irresistibly drawn toward the three remaining “unlovable” children…and stunned by a proposal that will change all of their lives forever.

4. Spring Meadow Sanctuary:
Heart pounding in shock, Sharyah Jordan gapes at the outlaw staring down the barrel of his gun at her. Cascade Bennett shattered her dreams only last summer, and now he plans to kidnap her and haul her into the wilderness with a bunch of outlaws…for her own protection? She’d rather be locked in her classroom for a whole week with Brandon McBride and his arsenal of tricks, and that was saying something.

Cade Bennett’s heart nearly drops to his toes when he sees Sharyah standing by the desk. Sharyah Jordan was not supposed to be here. Blast if he didn’t hate complications, and Sharyah with her alluring brown eyes and silky blond hair was a walking, talking personification of complication.

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

Browsing a little, I ran across a FREE book by anther favorite author. It’s non fiction, a book on prayer, but it looks like it will be a seriously fun read. Diane Moody has a gift for delivering stories laced with humor. I’m looking forward to this read.

Confessions of a Prayer Slacker (Second Edition) 

Let’s face it. Most of us are clueless when it comes to praying. Why is that? And how come we’ve never done anything about it? In Confessions of a Prayer Slacker, author Diane Moody traces her own personal prayer journey with a touch of humor and a healthy dose of transparency.

‘‘I want my readers to stop the merry-go-round of prayerlessness, quit acting like a bunch of spiritual babies, and get serious about this thing called prayer. Without it, we’ll never experience the warm, one-on-one relationship God desires to have with each one of us.”

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

I’m still deciding on a current read but I’m leaning toward another Mystery/Suspense of some sort.

I’ll let you know how it goes.

Happy Reading

I don’t write about politics, but …

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

I don’t write about politics but… I spend a lot of time paying attention.

I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure I’ve gained a number of followers based on my frequent presence on many of the popular sites. I expect they are disappointed to find I am not a political voice, never mind a loud one, in this digital world.

It takes a lot of work to be effective as a voice and my heart is not in it. I’m a staunch supporter though. Sites need subscribers, views (lots of them) and likes, to be noticed and taken seriously in the digital world. Not only that but voices need supporters to give them the courage to continue on in a place where someone wants to shut them up.

The beauty of a country where free speech is taken seriously; we are able to freely voice our thoughts and opinions, right or wrong. There seem to be bullies wanting to take away this right.

I follow dozens of sites but who I listen to most often, keeps changing. Mostly because of big tech censorship. There are certain things conservative voices are just not allowed to talk about. If they do they will be booted off any and all of the mainstream platforms.

That’s why things keep changing. People keep disappearing. The message doesn’t disappear though. New voices keep popping up, jumping into the fray, looking for the truth someone seems to want to keep from getting out. It used to be fairly easy to identify the voices, there were so few. Now they are multiplying like rabbits, which is a very good thing in these unprecedented days of censorship. We-the-people are noticing and saying hey, wait a minute! What is going on here?

My question in all of this is Why? That is a huge question.

There are a number of free speech replacement platforms under construction but it takes a lot of time and energy to have them working at a level even close to the efficiency of well established sites. It looks like locals.com and Rumble are making good progress with the investment interest they have been able to generate for their ideas. Dave Rubin of The Rubin Report is behind locals.com. He is a mover and shaker with a lot of great connections. It looks like he has a good chance at making it work.

I don’t see eye to eye with Dave Rubin on all of his opinions and positions; we are both OK with that. He is a voice of sanity in a world full of non stop yelling and I appreciate what he does and what he is trying to do.

I’m attaching one of his videos. I need a picture to dress up this post.

An introduction to a character I’ve just been talking about seems wise too, and besides, he is spending time with a sane politician about the very censorship I have been going on and on about. Adding this interview here seems like a good plan to me.

I have lots more to say on this whole subject but I’ll save it for another day when I feel inspired to share how I really feel about all of this.

Books may be the subject of a post, yet today. Now that I have this one off my chest I’ll finish my current read and do some browsing.

Later, y’all

Free and bargain books July 31, 2021

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

BookRunes has a FREE suggestion for us today. This is a long book by an author I’ve not read before. The reviews look good though.

Training Lord Somerset (The Heart of Dorset Series: Book 1) A Clean & Sweet Regency Historical Romance Novel

Amazon quote:

He will see past her scars; she will look past his fear to the brave soul inside…But are their hearts strong enough to seize their one chance at happiness?

A terrible accident left Lydia Stanley in charge of her younger siblings and a Duchy to boot! Two years later, the scar on her face is the only reminder of the day she lost everything: her parents, her innocence, and all marriage prospects…

As the new Earl of Somerset, Humphrey Berkeley is expected to know everything about running an estate. But his father’s indifference towards his youngest son has left Humphrey not only emotionally traumatized but also untrained in running an estate…

The late Duke of Dorset’s steward-and daughter- seems like the perfect tutor for the young Earl, but their business arrangement never included falling in love…

Will they find it in them to conquer their inner demons and claim their happiness, or will they succumb to fear and live forever in misery…?

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

My current read has just been started so it’s a little early to tell but I’ve enjoyed other books by this author so I’m expecting good things. It’s still on offer at a bargain price.

Fatal Strike

There’s a killer on the loose in Galveston, targeting law enforcement officials and using a fatal injection of snake venom to take them down. Authorities have reasons to believe the Veneno gang is behind the hits, and FBI Agents Leah Riesel and Jon Colbert team up to track down those responsible. Their best lead is an eyewitness who identifies a young man dumping the third body on a church doorstep. But their suspect has gone into hiding, and those closest to him are reluctant to reveal anything that might help investigators find him.

As Leah and Jon check connections among the victims and dig deeper into motives, they discover appearances may be deceiving. Someone is desperate to keep their secrets hidden, and Leah and Jon must face their greatest fears in order to stop the next fatal strike.

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

Happy reading …

… on this Saturday with weather that can’t decide what it wants to do or be.

Read and enjoyed July 30, 2021

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

This collection was my favorite recent read and there was even a favorite in the midst of these six. Book 5 Sharp as Steele was, without question, my favorite. I managed to finish the whole thing sooner than expected as books 3 and 6 appeared somewhere else along my reading path and I didn’t feel the need to read them more than once.

Tightrope by Mary Alford and more

Amazon quote for book 5:

SHARP AS STEELE
A too handsome for his own good private investigator.
A stalker who claims she is his.
A new job turns deadly.
A final confrontation could end it all.
Can Lana and Lance out run a man filled with an insane desire to claim Lana as his own?

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

What’s next? It’s a tough decision.

Maybe I’ll try the Western cowboy style read this time. I’m looking for a single book rather than a collection for a read or two. It should help things move along a little faster, hopefully. I don’t believe I’ve read this author before either. I’ll try and let you know what it as like.

Cassandra and the Cowboy (Texas Treasures Book 1) 

Cassandra Pickett is one prayer away from giving up on God.

The tragic death of her father and the devastating results of the Great Drought of 1886 have centered the family ranch in the crosshairs of the Goose Neck Ridge Bank of Texas. Desperate to save the Triple P, Cassandra sees only one option: marriage to Phillip Brigham, the local cattle baron, who has promised to repay her father’s loan.

Matt Atkins is a man driven by his mission.
When the enigmatic cowboy shows up looking for a job, he convinces Cassandra that he’ll be an asset to the ranch. As they work side by side, Cassandra’s feelings for Matt deepen, and she envisions the possibility of marrying for love, not for necessity. But her dreams are shattered when she discovers that Matt harbors a hidden agenda for the Triple P. Will Cassandra have to turn to Phillip after all, or will God take the shards of her broken dreams and create something beyond what she dared hope for?

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

Happy reading y’all.

Free and bargain books July 30, 2021

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

BookBub has several bargain book suggestions for us. I’ve read and enjoyed book 1 in this first series and I’m looking forward to this new one even though it’s book 4. They are stand alone and don’t have to be read in order which is very nice.

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

Amazon quote:

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.

The Middleton name has always brought Tobias trouble, and Pricilla is no exception. As the waters clear and the temperature warms, the danger escalates too. Yet Tobias discovers the intuitive and strong woman who struggles to hide her anxiety is nothing like her disloyal brother. He may lose the opportunity to help his country, but perhaps he can still save the woman who’s rescued his heart.

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

Second Chance Love (Pinecrest Book 1)

Amazon quote:

Eight years should have been long enough to overcome the hurt and humiliation of being left at the altar, but when Jillian Rodgers walks back into Sam Lawson’s life he has to grapple with those feelings again. Worse yet, he can’t stop thinking about her.

Jillian Rodgers has returned to her hometown to help care for her mother. Facing Sam again is hard, but Jillian wonders if her return could mean a second chance for them.

In a small town their paths often cross, and despite Sam’s vow not to make the same mistake, he finds himself falling for her all over again. But Jillian hasn’t been completely honest about her life. When that comes to light, can he still forgive and forget? Can they have a second chance at love?

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

BookRunes has a FREE suggestion for us, from an author I’ve not read before.

Cassandra and the Cowboy (Texas Treasures Book 1) 

Amazon quote:

Cassandra Pickett is one prayer away from giving up on God.

The tragic death of her father and the devastating results of the Great Drought of 1886 have centered the family ranch in the crosshairs of the Goose Neck Ridge Bank of Texas. Desperate to save the Triple P, Cassandra sees only one option: marriage to Phillip Brigham, the local cattle baron, who has promised to repay her father’s loan.

Matt Atkins is a man driven by his mission.
When the enigmatic cowboy shows up looking for a job, he convinces Cassandra that he’ll be an asset to the ranch. As they work side by side, Cassandra’s feelings for Matt deepen, and she envisions the possibility of marrying for love, not for necessity. But her dreams are shattered when she discovers that Matt harbors a hidden agenda for the Triple P. Will Cassandra have to turn to Phillip after all, or will God take the shards of her broken dreams and create something beyond what she dared hope for?

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

Happy Reading!

Bargain books July 29, 2021

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

As promised, today we have the collection mentioned in the last post. And, with a little extra sleuthing two more collections showed up. It turns out, we have a nice variety of authors between the three of them. Cynthia Hickey shows up in all three collections.

To Serve and Protect 

Amazon quote:

THE SCENT OF FEAR
Secrets in Amish Country…

She’d fought her way through eight long years of terror. Now she’s back home amongst her Amish people, yet Rebecca Nissley feels like an outsider. She’s lost so much. Her friends. Time with her Mamm and Daed. The possibility of a future with the man she loves.

Deputy Sheriff Sawyer Beiler thought this day would never come. After two young Amish women were murdered, and Rebecca Nissley disappeared while on Rumspringa years earlier, Sawyer believed he’d lost Rebecca for good. With the pain too much to bear, Sawyer left the Amish faith behind and joined the sheriff’s department, determined to find out what happened that summer day long ago. Now Rebecca is back…

SCHOOLHOUSE JUSTICE
The teacher had apparently walked in on a robbery and been killed in his classroom Resource Officer Lanell Rhodes is determined to see justice for the young man.

Pilot Connor Prescott is shocked to learn of the death of the young teacher his sister has been dating. But when he arrives at the school and seeks information, he is warned by the attractive Resource Officer that he is not to meddle in police business.

AFTER THE STORM
Kayla Denton wants only to make a success of the new up-scale resort her grandfather put in her charge of. Detective Chase Mitchell goes undercover as Kayla’s maintenance man to catch a hired killer after the resorts important guest. A hurricane threatens to ruin both of their plans.

When Kayla’s life is put in danger, and Chase’s identity revealed, their future together starts to crumble on the sandy beach of Maui. Can these two survive a mad man and a storm to realize what they need is right in front of them?

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

For a change of pace we will put the romance collection in the middle.

Love Draws Near 

Amazon quote:

Adversity leads to love in these five romantic novellas by best-selling author.

MAUI MAGIC
Join Amanda and Drake as things come to an explosive conclusion in Paradise.

SUDDENLY
Can a shy teacher and a sad widower stand strong in their love when danger threatens?

HILLBILLY CINDERELLA
Can she set aside prejudices from a bygone time and embrace her happily ever after?

I’D RATHER KISS MY HORSE
Danger strikes. The two of them must work together to survive. Will the love they refuse to acknowledge be enough?

SUSPICIOUS MINDS
Can these two set aside their suspicions and regain a tender love?

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

And, finally …

Terror at Sea: Three mysteries aboard a cruise ship

Amazon quote:

CABIN FEVER
Ready for some rest and relaxation at the end of the school year, seventh grade teacher Autumn Spencer gets on a cruise ship, hoping it’ll whisk her away to Paradise so she can clear her mind. Instead, she encounters nosy fellow passengers who won’t leave her alone, more drama than she sees in her hormonal students … and a couple of attempted murders. No matter what she does to avoid the crazies, she keeps getting thrown right smack dab into the middle of all the action.

DON’T ROCK THE BOAT
Annie Peterson is supposed to be on vacation. . .not in wedding planning mode and certainly not in mystery solving mode. But when she meets a bride-to-be aboard the Navigator of the Seas cruise liner, Annie can’t help herself. She’s ready, willing and able to help with plans for the big day. And when the bride goes missing just hours before the ceremony, it’s Annie to the rescue! Who’s responsible for spiriting away the elusive bride? The maid of honor? The emotional mother of the bride? An over-the-top best man? The groom-to-be? A total stranger? Someone’s done the deed and it’s up to Annie to locate the MIA bride before the ship returns to port. Surely, with the Lord’s help, she can solve this mystery. Join Annie on this high seas adventure where everyone on-board is a suspect and no good deed goes unpunished.

EXPOSURE AT SEA
THE SEAS GROW ROUGH WHEN A CRUISE PHOTOGRAPHER IS TARGETED FOR MURDER.

After a painful breakup, Molly Nicholson accepts a job as a cruise ship photographer. As she is taking photos of passengers arriving to board the ship, she accidentally snaps a picture of a murder. Her dream job turns into a nightmare as she tries to stay alive amidst the beauty of Hawaii. A handsome detective on medical leave volunteers to be her bodyguard until the killer is caught. Can their blooming romance survive murder on the high seas?

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

11 books! We definitely have enough to keep us going for a good long while. It will be interesting to see what else could possibly show up today.

I’ll let you know if there is more.

Happy Reading.

Bargain books July 28, 2021

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

A fruitful search unearthed some awesome titles. Both of them are mystery/thrillers. I’ve read three books by DiAnn Mills but it’s been a long while and I’m looking forward to meeting her again.

Fatal Strike 

Amazon quote:

There’s a killer on the loose in Galveston, targeting law enforcement officials and using a fatal injection of snake venom to take them down. Authorities have reasons to believe the Veneno gang is behind the hits, and FBI Agents Leah Riesel and Jon Colbert team up to track down those responsible. Their best lead is an eyewitness who identifies a young man dumping the third body on a church doorstep. But their suspect has gone into hiding, and those closest to him are reluctant to reveal anything that might help investigators find him.

As Leah and Jon check connections among the victims and dig deeper into motives, they discover appearances may be deceiving. Someone is desperate to keep their secrets hidden, and Leah and Jon must face their greatest fears in order to stop the next fatal strike.

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

I’ve read two books by Dani Pettrey, one of them only last year. Now, after reading the first part of chapter one I’m excited to read this one.

The Killing Tide (Coastal Guardians Book #1)

Amazon quote:

When one Coast Guard officer is found dead and another goes missing, Coast Guard Investigative Service special agent Finn Walker faces his most dangerous crime yet. His only clues are what little evidence remains aboard the dead officer’s boat, and the direction the clues point to will test Finn and the Guard to their limits.

When investigative reporter–and Finn’s boss’s sister–Gabby Rowley arrives, her unrelenting questions complicate an already volatile situation. Now that she’s back, the tug on Finn’s heart is strong, but with the risks she’s taking for her next big story, he fears she might not live through it.

Thrown together by the heinous crime, Finn and Gabby can’t ignore the sparks or judgments flying between them. But will they be able to see past their preconceptions long enough to track down an elusive killer, or will they become his next mark?

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

I came across a small 3 book collection as well but I think I will save it for tomorrow.

Enjoy these two. They are long enough and exciting enough to keep us busy for a nice long while, I’ll bet.

Happy Reading