Send Down The Rain

October 11, 2018 / For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

Send Down The Rain – Charles Martin

Charles Martin’s newest book.

Life for Bobby and Joseph was never the same after their father left with another woman. Damage was so severe that it sent them on downward spirals, lasting decades. Their single mother did her best to provide for them, but the threat of draft was something beyond her control. It felt like an automatic death sentence, for both of them. For her, the thought was unbearable. Although he was younger, Joseph was able to cope in ways his brother never was. The day Bobby’s draft notice arrived, Joseph was the son his mother sought out.

I have to tell you, this tale is as gripping as all his others, and once started it’s impossible to stop – without good reason.

The good reason, this time, was Thanksgiving dinner with the family. I was able to work around my obligations, be fully present for family time, and still steal enough moments to finish this book.

There is so much to see and hear in these stories, making it impossible to take it all in in one reading. I will be reading this one again.

Charles Martin books are raw, real, and yet, tell a story that repels and draws all at the same time. You cannot help but connect with the lives of the characters, laughing and crying right along with them.

PTSD, bullying, human trafficking; friendship, love, fierce loyalty to family – are all part of the basic foundation this time.

The characters are well developed, and it’s interesting to see the way their lives intersect and, in some cases, are woven together.

I love the twists and turns you don’t see coming.

If you like a story that digs deep, making sure you think and feel, this is the book for you.

Sometimes I lie

September 30, 2018 / For the Love of Books / 1 Comment

They tell us that we all lie…. and the one we lie to most often, is ourselves.

I agree with this idea whole heartedly. Keeping honesty in mind, I think I’ve been doing a good job at self honesty. About the way I live life. I’m convinced of it. I’ve made a lot of progress and I’m not the same person I was.

But….

Life has been feeling unsettled lately and I’m perplexed about the reason. I’ve been more introspective than usual, thinking about the last few months, of the places I’ve been and the people I’ve seen. Trying to figure out what I need to learn from it all. Wondering what is coming next, on the road of life.

They say if you want to know the truth, pay attention to actions rather than words.

Up until recently, I thought my words and actions lined up pretty well. Now I’m beginning to doubt that’s true.

A change in scenery can expose things we would never see in the everyday routine of life.

Travelling about the country for several months was just such a change. Frequenting unfamiliar public places, daily interaction with strangers, even spending unusual amounts of time with family and friends.

I thought the desire and willingness to make the trip was a sign I’ve finally been able to step outside of the old ways and move on. In some regards it’s true, I have moved on. But, an honest look, at the level of control over all possible interactions, tells me it’s not entirely true. I’m kidding myself if I think I’ve lowered the protective walls enough to let people in. The truth is, on this trip, I went to unusual lengths to keep people out.

Facing this truth, I’m not sure what I can do to change anything, but honesty is a good place to start. The thought processes have been shaken up and now I’m looking at things from a different perspective.

Help in unexpected places….

I was listening to a podcast, the other day, about How to Stop the Pain. James Richards was saying that brokenness is complex and if we focus on trying to fix ourselves, it is likely, on some levels, that we will make things worse. Like unravelling tangled yarn. Complex.

Instead of focusing on fixing, he uses the sowing analogy. Sow the seeds of what you need and it will gradually become part of your life.

I need to sow openness. I have been thinking in this direction a lot lately – that I need to make more of an effort to nod, speak, smile. It’s a good place to start and the podcast was validation of that thought.

It’s amazing how, when I’m trying to figure things out, I stumble upon a book, a podcast, or a conversation, that speaks to the very subject I’m wrestling with.

Speaking of books….

Anne Perry is a name that quickly comes to mind when asked about favorite authors.

I was introduced to her a decade or so ago and read many of her books. More recently, a book suggestion showed up in my news feed, for a volume containing the first three books in the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt series. I was delighted to find I hadn’t read any of them. I have now….. and the last one will soon be finished.

This three volume set is a good place to get started.

The murder mysteries take place in London, in the days of horses, buggies, and high society. The blending of upper and lower class adds dimension and intrigue.

Thomas Pitt vol one

Happy Reading!!

Flowers in The Snow, and more

September 16, 2018 / For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

This is going to be another, very basic, catch up list.

Distracted by a great number of compelling reads, there was not much writing going on this summer, and the lineup of finished books is growing longer.

The books on this list were well worth reading and I wish there was time to enlarge on them all, as enticement.

There is no time though, there are more almost ready to be added. What can I say, I’m addicted.

One book I would recommend is Flowers in The Snow. It follows, in a way, after The Book of Negroes.

I mentioned The Book of Negroes several posts ago and noticed very little traffic on it. I wasn’t sure whether readers were distressed to see something, seemingly, politically incorrect, or if there were other reasons.

Several weeks ago, at our writers group, it was my turn to present a reading for critique. I revised the post a little, for clarification, and mentioned that the Book of Negroes was the record book of black loyalists taking advantage of an opportunity for relocation. Relocation sponsored and paid for by the British Commonwealth. There are two versions of the record book: the British version kept in Kew London, the American version kept in Washington DC.

The response to my reading was positive and several said they felt inspired to read the book as well.

One of the books in this new list has a character, a literature professor, teaching her students to notice how much can be learned by reading books thoughtfully.

That’s why I don’t shy away from tough subjects. There is much to be learned from them.

Learning is always a good thing.

Some of the books in this list are more thought provoking than others but there is still something to be gained from all of them.

I’m hoping you will feel inspired.

The Edenville Series – Flowers in the Snow book 1 – Danielle Stewart

Love’s Compass – Finding Faith book 4 – Melanie D. Snitker

The Face of the Earth – Deborah Raney

Nearly Nearly – Deborah Raney

Grand Tour Series – Glamorous Illusions – Lisa T. Bergren

Where The Hurt Is – Chris Kelsey

Lantern Beach Series – Tides of Deception book 1 – Christy Barritt

If You Believed in Love – Staci Stallings

Detective Allan Stanton – Sorrowful Road book 3 – Alex MacLean

Introductions to four spunky female sleuths – Christy Barritt

Squeaky Clean Mysteries – Hazardous Duty book 1

A Holly Anna Paladin Mystery – Random Acts of Murder book 1

The Sierra Files – Pounced book 1 (spin off of Squeaky Clean series)

The Worst Detective Ever – Ready to Fumble book 1

New Year's Revolution New Year’s Revolutions – Chautona Havig

Sam Reilly – The Nostradamus Equation book 6 – Christopher Cartwright

The Chastelayne Trilogy – In Honor Bound book 1 – DeAnna Julie Dodson

Happy, and inspired, Reading!

A Penny For Her Heart

August 26, 2018 / For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

It has been a great summer. Lots of travelling, lots of reading, not much writing. I will probably share some of my adventures soon but let’s try to catch up a bit and get straight to some books.

Hopefully, the summer has been good to all of you as well.

An update on a recent post about the YA books I found for my grandsons summer reading. They were a hit, both with the kids and the adults. Yes!!!

Detective Rachel Storme series – A Penny For Her Heart book 3 – Alretha Thomas ….. Vanessa and Penny share a dream – to become Chief of Staff to the White House – a dream that drew them together as best friends after a chance meeting in college.

The last few years of working in the Mayor’s office has them on the right track to reach their goal. Life looks good. When a promotion comes up and goes to Penny, Vanessa is feeling slighted. She has seniority and the job should have been hers. Those thoughts quickly become irrelevant when she arrives at work to discover Penny brutally murdered and posed in the ladies washroom, the floor covered in thousands of pennies.

The thing I liked most about this book; there were lots of possible suspects and many red herrings to keep us guessing. Detective Rachel Storme had her work cut out for her, trying to prove who really did it. This is my favorite book this month. it was an interesting read and the ending was a surprise.

Sight Unseen Series – None so Blind book 1 – Chautona Havig …. Dani freaks when her eyes open to a room she doesn’t recognize, a stranger is beside her in bed, and the face in the mirror doesn’t look like her. David tries to console her but in the end has no idea how to reach his hysterical wife and calls 911.

Unable to find a cause and having run out of treatment options, Dani is released to go home from the hospital. This leaves her feeling trapped, but what other choice is there, she has nowhere else to go and no means to support herself.

They tell her she is a wife and a mother of three but remembers none of it. When she sees the neglected house they live in she is horrified to discover she is a lazy and disinterested wife and mother. In an effort to feel comfortable in strange surroundings, she slowly sets about making changes, changes that emphasis the fact that the new Dani is nothing like the old Dani. A stretching time of adjustment, for everyone. Will they survive this?

A Paradise Crime Novel – Wired Rogue book 2 – Toby Neal ….. Sophie Ang has spent most of her time with the FBI in her computer lab, chasing criminals from a secure location. It was a welcome change to be sent on a field assignment. An assignment that did not progress the way they hoped. Words were exchanged, threats were made and Sophie tendered her resignation effective immediately.

The fallout from this parting of the ways was the possible loss of her brainchild – tracking software, able to search multiple databases. Also lost would be the reason to search for The Ghost, an illusive vigilante she’d been tracking and communicating with for months.

A valuable asset does not go long without being snapped up and a private sector company lost no time in knocking on her door with a job offer. An offer to breach a cult compound to rescue the children they were after on her failed FBI assignment.

The agent she is paired with is a bit of a loose canon so it’s a good thing she has been trained to take care of herself.

The Treasure Harbour Series – seven novellas centered around the quest for gold. Legendary pirate Drake Burton is said to have buried a treasure of jewels from his wife’s dowry, to spite her murdering father. Camilla took a bullet meant for him when her father tried to stop the marriage.

Two hundred years later the family feud is alive and well, and treasure hunters are still flocking to the resort town in search of the prize.

If you see something here that piques your interest, or sparks a desire to search through available books for something more suited to your liking…. I will consider this a win.

Happy reading.

Here’s to finding good books!

the Book of Negroes

August 11, 2018 / For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

This book is a solid 5 stars, in my estimation.

The Book of Negroes

This is a story written to capture your interest. I was surprised at the unexpected way it captured mine, given the difficult subject matter.

To be honest, it took me over two years to find the courage to read this book. I purchased it only because it kept showing up as a must-read everywhere I turned. I decided to give it a chance but then couldn’t bring myself to read it as quickly as I normally would.

Reluctance to pick it up as the next-read meant it was buried deeper and deeper with each new downloaded book. Out of sight where it couldn’t make me feel guilty for passing it by, again. I did feel guilty, paying for a book and then not reading it, but mostly I felt guilty for not having the courage to read it.

I was avoiding it because, I know by experience, stories like this are hard to read.

Once I decided to take the plunge it didn’t take long to realize, Lawrence Hill has a gift for telling a story of horrific circumstances in a way that compels you to keep reading. There was no melodrama or righteous indignation. Just an honest, engaging, telling of the facts.

This is a fictional depiction of a 50 year slice of history, and the body of research to back it up is impressive. Also impressive is the size of the team working with him to make it happen.

I think there are many reasons why it’s important to read stories such as this. As you read, I know you will discover some of the reasons for yourself. We all come from a perspective and understanding of life, colored by the circumstances in our own little corner of the world. The messages we take away from reading a book like this will be influenced by the lives we each live. I find it’s that way with most books really, they speak to us where we are at any given time.

There are several important lessons I’ve learned while reading books such as this. The first is this – cruelty has visited all people groups at some point in history and no people group is exempt from giving or receiving cruelty. We all have reason to weep for our ancestors as we discover cruelty endured, we have reason to rejoice with them for kindnesses received. And sometimes we have reason to be ashamed as we discover their treatment of others.

The second thing I’ve learned is that no people group is all good or all bad. For each cruel person, there are many more that are loving and kind. The cruel ones seem to get more notice, probably because they are often able to make life miserable for the masses. It makes me sad to see the way we humans treat each other. It also makes me sad to realize there is “nothing new under the sun”, cruelty and greed is an age old problem.

I can tell a book has been good for me when I am left saying……. I had no idea.

I had no idea that Black Loyalists fled to Nova Scotia Canada in 1783-1784, never mind that they came in such large numbers. It was a surprise to learn they were there because Britain promised rewards for loyalty to their war effort in the US. It was also a surprise to learn that a decade later a large number would accept similar promises of a good life if they would return to West Africa and take up the challenge to establish a colony in Sierra Leone.

I had no idea that thousands of former slaves had the same opportunity, over the years, to return to West Africa to settle, or to help settle, a number of countries like – Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Guinea, and Ghana.

The Book of Negroes is the story of a beautiful eleven year old girl captured as a slave, learning to survive in spite of catastrophic circumstances, becoming a strong, intelligent, and productive woman, loved by everyone she encounters.

I liked this book for the historical education it gave me, but mostly…….. I liked it for the honest way it brought to life a heart wrenching story.

YA books for my grandsons

July 12, 2018 / For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

It was a lot of fun to come across a book store well stocked with young adult books suitable for boys. The boys in our family are becoming avid readers and I wanted to get a jump on Christmas and birthdays if I could. It’s often hard to find things geared to boys tastes in books when you have a deadline.

I haven’t read any of these books yet myself but my daughter gave the first series by Bryan Davis a 3 thumbs up when I checked to see if it had her approval. She probably checked reviews to form an opinion. The rest of the books were also suggested by a very helpful and well read young lady working in that part of the store.

I am excited about these great finds so I’ll just share them all with you now and comment later on to let you know what the boys thought of my selections.

If you have read and enjoyed any of these maybe you can jump into this conversation too and let us know what you think.

I was going to stock pile the new books for future gifts but changed my mind when I started thinking about the excitement level if their summer started out with many books to choose from, especially since they also have a book loving boy cousin visiting for a coupe of weeks soon. I think I might be as excited about this as they will be when they see the stack I have for them.

So, here is the first complete series in my collection… Children of the Bard

Song of the Ovulum bk 1 Song of Ovulum book 1 – Bryan Davis

From the Mouth of Elijah bk 2 Mouth of Elijah book 2

the Seventh Door bk 3 The Seventh Door book 3

Omega Dragon bk 4 Children of the Bard – Omega Dragon book 4

Another Bryan Davis series is Dragons of Starlight

Dragons of the Starlight series – Starlighter book 1 – Bryan Davis

There are 4 books in this series and I picked up the first one. The four are Starlighter, Warrior, Diviner, and Liberator.

Then there is a series by Wayne Thomas Batson that looks interesting. It’s called The Door Within Trilogy.

The Door Within bk 1 The Door Within book1 – Wayne Thomas Batson

The Rise of the Wyrm Lord bk 2 The Rise of The Wyrm Lord book 2

The Final Storm bk 3 The Final Storm book 3

I did get the first three and see now that there is also a fourth one.

Another series by Wayne Thomas Batson is called The Dream Treaders Series.

Dream Treaders is book 1 and I bought that one as a starter, Search for the Shadow Key is book 2, and The War for the Waking World is book 3. Book one will be an experiment to see how we like it.

I picked up four random books just to see what they were like. We can go back for more if they are a hit with the boys.

Hood bk 1 Hood is book one in Stephen Lawhead’s The Raven King Series. Scarlet is book 2 and Tuck is book 3. This series was inspired by the legend of Robin Hood. I’ve read other books by Stephen Lawhead and enjoyed his fantasies. We’ll see what the boys have to say about this one.

We will also try out The White Lion Chronicles by Christopher Hopper.

Rise of the Dibor is book 1 in this series, books 2 and 3 are The Lion Vrie. and Athera’s Dawn

The adults in the family haven’t been left out. I picked up four books for them too

Son of God (based on the major motion picture) by Roma Downey and Mark Burnett. I am not familiar with the movie or the authors but the young lady helping me thought highly of it.

The Prodigal – a Ragamuffin Story by Brennan Manning and Greg Garrett was also highly recommended. A modern telling of the parable.

The next two are by Joel C Rosenberg and are thrillers. The Third Target and The First Hostage. These fall into the what could happen category. They aren’t the books she originally recommended by this author but I an a sucker for a sale and thought it would be a safer way to try someone new to me.

If you have opinions on any of these books, you will have to share them with us, we would like to hear what you thought.

I will share more about the store itself another time. They have a huge selection of new and gently used books and I hear they have an online presence selling books as well.

The store is called House of James in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada …. in case you want to check it out sooner rather than later. It took seconds to come up when I Goggled House of James, so happy hunting.

And happy reading too. Until next time.

A new list….

June 30, 2018 / For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

It’s been a few weeks since the last post. I am travelling again and life has been full. I’ve still found time to read though… there is always time to read! The read book list is getting to be pretty long so this will be the quick version…… to get it done.

There were several events last weekend where conversation led to books and a discovered shared passion. They were highlights of my week. I should be getting paid for the passionate sell job. 😀

We shared favorite authors and the benefits of using Kindle paperwhite. (large print, no screen light, hours of reading with no eyestrain… great for the addicts among us!)

Many of the books on this list have been written by some of my new favorite authors. Hopefully you will enjoy them too.

So.. here’s the list….

Mt Hope Southern Adventures – Walking Shoes: Triumph Over Tragedy book 1 – Lynne Gentry

Until I don't The Resolution Series – Until I Don’t book 2 – T.I. Lowe

Truffles by the Sea The Chocolate Series – Truffles By The Sea book 2 – Julie Carobini

Sister Circle Series – The Sister Circle book 1 – Nancy Moser and Vonette Bright.

A Jake & Annie Lincoln Thriller – Captive Justice: A Private Investigator Mystery book 4 – Rayven T. Hill

Serenity’s Plain Secrets Series – Paper Roses book 5 – Karen Ann Hopkins

Strong Women, Extraordinary Situations – Deadly Countdown book 4 – Margaret Daley

The Jacobite Chronicles – The Mask Revealed book 2 – Julia Brannan

the Gathering Storm The Jacobite Chronicles – The Gathering Storm book 3 – Julia Brannan

A Lei Crime Novel – Blood Orchids book 1 – Toby Neal

Proof Bloodline Trilogy – Proof book 1 – Jordyn Redwood

Happy Reading!

Lori Wick – another favorite

June 3, 2018 / For the Love of Books / 3 Comments

Lori Wick is one of my long time favorite authors. Back in the day when I was borrowing library books I would read everything they had for her. It’s been awhile since I last visited a library and I’ve gotten behind a bit. That’s why it made my day to see Promise Me Tomorrow show up as a BookBub suggestion.

I hope you will stop by to meet Lori, if you’ve never read any of her work. And if like me, you’ve read her work but it’s been awhile, join me in getting reacquainted.

With another one added to the growing list of recommended authors, maybe it’s time to start a Favorite Authors page, to help keep track of them all. Most likely it will be coming soon.

Thinking about discovering new authors reminds me of a hand out from a library a lifetime ago. It was a large card with a list of favorite authors in the most popular genres. I loved that card. It provided treasured insight and expanded my horizons.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve found choosing books can be a difficult decision. Part of the reason is because I want an excellent experience with every book. This was even more of a need in the early days when the check out limit was three; that’s when the recommendations list really helped me zero in on good ones. Of course, once they raised the check out limit to as many books as you can carry, selection decisions weren’t as critical. With that many possibilities, a few duds wouldn’t be leaving me with the tragedy of nothing to read.

Rocky Mountain Memories Series – Promise Me Tomorrow book 1 – Lori Wick …. Katherine Taggart, nicknamed Rusty for her red hair, loves the children in her aunt and uncle’s orphanage and they love her right back.

Chase McCandles, a director for the orphanage, is impressed by her take charge attitude and her easy rapport with children. He is even more impressed when he sees the way his son takes to her. He offers her the job of replacement nanny when a sudden need arises but Rusty is having serious reservations about saying yes, knowing there will be fireworks over differences in parenting styles. Would they survive the conflict? Will her tender heart for the needs of a little boy let her say no? Will Chase ever see her as more than a nanny?

October October – J. Grace Pennington …… this is a story of unique friendship, discovery, loss of innocence, and a broken heart: An intriguing new girl shows up in church, she carries herself like a princess and Emily is fascinated. Friendship is not quite that easy though, with this illusive princess. But when finally it begins – it’s magical. Life through October’s eyes seems to open up whole new worlds to her friend, and yet, the world that is her is a closed to everyone. This was an emotional read but it touched a deep place, and made me glad for the experience.

Words Words – Ginny L. Yttrup ….. Sierra Daw has escaped to a favorite forest where she can privately lose herself in grief on the anniversary of her baby’s death. Out of the corner of her eye something catches her attention but when she focuses, there is only a fleeting glimpse of a young girl. Concerned about seeing a child alone in such a remote location, she investigates and discovers a hiding place in a hollowed out tree. Now she is on a mission to find a child her heart knows is in trouble and needs to be rescued.

Kaylee runs when the woman sees her. She’s intrigued after witnessing such grief but terrified to stay because of what would happen if her captor discovered she had left the cabin. The tree is the secret place where she can write out words and hide the dictionary – a gift from her mother before she disappeared. Kaylee hasn’t spoken since, but she has words.

The Peacemaker Series – Two Rivers book 1 – Zoe Saadia …. centuries before the US became a nation there was a confederacy called The Great League of the Iroquois, composed of five nations. After many years of destructive, retaliatory fighting between the five nations, they came to an agreement and their constitution was born. It worked so well that it maintained perfect balance between the them and their success was evident to all. Many scholars believe this was noticed and so it became the example followed for the writing of the US Constitution.

This series attempts to recreate the events leading up to this Iroquois agreement. Historical books in a similar theme seem to be a popping up regularly just now, but this series is unique in it’s handling of history and is definitely worth reading. I’m looking forward to the rest of the story.

Forgotten and Remembered Love’s Second Chance Series – Forgotten & Remembered: The Duke’s Late Wife – Bree Wolf …… Graham is crushed by the death of his wife and has withdrawn from life, closing out even his daughter. There is pressure on him to take a new wife as a mother for his daughter so when he notices the interaction between a young woman and the children surrounding her, an idea begins to form in his mind.

Rosabel, has been taken in by her disapproving aunt and uncle after the death of her parents. A life of total obedience to their unreasonable ways is torture. She is exploring ways to gain her freedom from them when a complete stranger asks for her hand in marriage. Who is this man, why would he offer for her, and what will life be like in this marriage? Better or worse? Will she be sentenced to a marriage of convenience or is there a chance for a real marriage with the duke?

The Indigo Rebels: a French Resistance Novel – Ellie Midwood ……. Three siblings, each of them with different temperaments, all find themselves caught up in the Resistance movement, in one form or another. Germany has invaded France, hardships prevail, and their houses are taken over by high ranking military men. This causes problems on the one hand while on the other, it supplies opportunities.

I enjoyed this book for the strong and varied characters. It also had a different slant on the war and was unlike anything I’ve read so far. It drew me in from the beginning and came to an end all too quickly. There are sequels and I hope to read them too.

Happy reading! I hope you are discovering a growing list of authors that you love.

Best book this week – A Noble Masquerade Kristi Ann Hunter

May 16, 2018 / For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

A Noble Masquerade was my favorite this week, but really, all of the books in this list were top notch. I think maybe it was the humor that put this one ahead of the rest, probably because I needed a laugh right about now.

Hawthorne House Series – A Noble Masquerade book 1 – Kristi Ann Hunter ….. This one was my favorite, it was so good I had to tear myself away from it when duty called (read that – when caught reading while neglecting responsibilities).

One of the best things was the dry humor, some scenes almost had me rolling on the floor, it was great. Humor wasn’t intended to be the main attraction though, just an added bonus. The unconventional characters and unexpected plot twists were the main attraction.

This book has intrigue, romance, sibling rivalry, and most importantly – lessons in deportment. 😉 It was a fun read, I loved it.

Sloane Monroe Mystery – Murder in Mind book 2 – Cheryl Bradshaw ….. A thriller…. the body of a woman has turned up in a super market parking lot, and inestigators are convinced evidence points to the reemergence of a serial killer.

Sloane has solved all of her previous cases but one, that of her sister’s murder, and this one looks like it was committed by her sister’s killer, he’s back. He is brilliant, meticulous, leaving no clues. Can she rise to the challenge and outsmart him.

This book was a page turner. Another favorite.

Unintended Consequesnces A Jack Turner Suspense Novel – Unintended Consequences book 3 – Dan Walsh ….. Jack and Rachel planned to spend a few days of their honeymoon visiting his grandmother who has never met Rachel. Jack is called away with emergency work obligations but leaves Rachel behind because he wants her to hear the incredible family story his grandmother has to tell.

It all happened during the second world war and it’s a miracle any of them lived through it.

These days there seem to be many books written around the theme of WWII, and you would think there would be a sameness about them all, but there isn’t. Probably because there are as many unique stories as there are people in the world and the difference in detail adds a freshness. Authors have done an admirable job of finding something that would set their work apart from all the rest.

This story was worth every moment of reading time. Lest we forget.

Rock Harbor Series – Beneath Copper Falls – Colleen Coble ….. This is one of Colleen’s latest releases and it is an excellent book. All of her books are, actually. Colleen is a successful and prolific writer with nearly 4 million books sold. I’m thinking most of you must have read at least one or two of her books, if you haven’t – I hope you will.

A book description for this story would sound much like others I’ve mentioned recently; escape an abusive husband – relocate and hope to start life over in a safer place. The outlines sound the same but the details are as different and unique as any of our personal stories. Colleen’s stories are always well thought out with a depth that makes them worth reading and this one is a good example of that.

The Keeper of the Ring Series The Keepers of the Ring Series – Angela Hunt ….. Angela is another prolific and successful author, on a par with Colleen Coble, both selling in the millions of books. You have probably been exposed to her books as well, but if not I hope you will read some of these too. Their styles are different, so you would enjoy both authors. They both write in several different genres as well, reading their work doesn’t get old.

Angela has a number of historical series, The Keeper of the Ring is one of them. The time frame for this series is the settling of North America, before Columbus. The theory is that he was not the first one to arrive on our shores. There were others before him. This series sets out how that could have happened.

Roanoke, the Lost Colony book 1 …. this is the beginning, with a small number of settlers landing on a inhospitable piece of shoreline. Things do not go well and three children are all that’s left of them. They manage to escape but each of the three are captured by a different group and they don’t see each other again for many years.

Jamestown book 2 ….. the children have become adults, inspite of difficult and unfriendly circumstances. This will be a time of discovery as they cross paths again. This contact revives buried memories of families they once had. Others have come now to join the first settlers and have been a mixed blessing, some more hindrance than help. This book follows the continued journey of the three, their joys and their sorrows.

There are three more to go yet on this so I will be getting back to you with them.

The Treacherous Journey Heart of the Mountains – This Treacherous Journey book 1 – Misty M Beller …. Emma, expecting a baby and afraid she may be arrested. is fleeing with her twin brother after the hanging of her husband for fraud. They are travelling on horseback through treacherous mountain passes when Joseph’s horse loses it’s footng and falls, injuring his rider.

Simeon lives a solitary and primitive life, hiding out in his grief, and is not prepared to receive visitors in need of help, especially with one of them an expectant female. It brings back too many painful memories.

Joseph and Emma are trying to make it to Canada where they feel they will be safe from the possibility of arrest, but with Joseph’s injuries they need Simeon’s help to make the journey. Winter will be settling in soon and time is running out. That’s what Simeon is afraid of, time running out.

I hope there is somehing here to inspire you. Be sure to check out these authors if they are new to you. Or, even if they’re not.

Happy Reading!

The ones you hang out with

May 10, 2018 / For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

We were just talking about this today… how easy it is to begin sounding like the people we hang out with. One of my nieces, and her husband, spent a school year in the Canadian Maritimes where there are regional differences in the way certain words and letters are pronounced. They were commenting on how, in that short time, they found themselves starting to sound like the locals.

Now they are on their way back home to Western Canada, it will be interesting to see if the changes stick or if they revert back to the old ways. I’m betting on the old ways.

I’m convinced the same thing happens when we read…. we begin to sound like the writers we hang out with. That’s why I like to hang out with the best books I can find. I need all the help and positive influence I can get. Hmmm…. I wonder if it’s possible to learn good grammar by osmosis? Wouldn’t that be nice. 🙂

Fleetwood and Shiels – Saving Grace book 2 – Simon Wood ….. the kidnapper, consumed with teaching parents to take better care of their children, zeros in on a young girl whose family is focused more on the tourist attraction than on her. He has had practice, and with his perfectly executed plan, they leave and no one even notices anything wrong.

When the ransom call comes it goes to a local, struggling, newspaper. The person he asks to speak to is Scott, a reporter who no longer works there because of a previous kidnapping gone wrong. Scott’s family is still recovering from their own trauma, how can he get involved with another one? And why would they ask for him anyway?

Lady at Arms: a Medieval Romance – Tamara Leigh …. Lizanne Balmaine managed to escape her abuser and run for her life. Now, years later, when she spies her enemy at a neighboring castle, made bold by her new skills and an overpowering need for revenge, she captures him and locks him in her dungeon. There is something a little off about all of this though, he isn’t exactly as remembered, and the difference escapes her.

Ranulf Randieu is furious at finding himself stripped and chained up in a dungeon, accused of offenses he has no memory of; and the lady refuses to enlighten him. With patience, he manages to turn the tables on her, in this game they are playing, and now she is the captive headed for his castle.

What will her over protective brother do when he comes home to find his sister gone? Has she made a fatal mistake with her rash decision to attempt revenge on her enemy?

Sweet Hearts of Sweet Creek – HomeComing – Carolyne Aarsen …. Mark is on a mission to find his partner’s sister for him, he doesn’t know much about her except that she hasn’t been home in years. Things begin to go a little wrong when he tracks her to a bar and his attempt to talk to her enrages her boss. It goes from bad to worse and she finds herself without a job she desperately needs.

Sheryl tries but can’t place Mark in her memory and she isn’t about to trust him or go anywhere with him. Especially not back to the place of bad memories. And she doesn’t even want to know why he is here.

Mark has made a promise that he doesn’t understand but feels compelled to keep. He needs to convince her to go home, even for a few days.

The Blackstone Detective Series – Blackstone and the Rendezvous with Death book 1 – Sally Spencer/Alan Rustage …. a shabbily dressed young man hurries through the streets realizing he should have left for home hours ago. It will soon be too dark to find his way and there are footsteps following him. This cannot mean anything good in this part of town.

Inspector Blackstone frowns when he sees a body with the face of a gentleman dressed in the rags of a commoner. Who is he, why is he dressed like this, what could possibly cause him to be in this part of the city; and why has no one listed him as missing. The handling of this will require special care to find the answers, and Blackstone is out of his element, dealing with gentry.

He gets a break when a young lady comes to his office, concerned about the disappearance of her brother. Now he has to find a way to discretely meet with her high powered family, to discover their secrets.

Juniper Grove Cozy Mystery Death of a Dead Man book 1 – Karin Kaufman …. Rachael is new to town and hasn’t learned all the secrets yet but that is about to change when Julia, her neighbour, crosses the yard to show her the latest headlines in the local newspaper. Julia is upset because the editor is out to get her and doesn’t play fair. Rachel reads the headline George Foster officially declared dead and now she’s puzzled, she was under the impression he was dead. She will be even more puzzled when the man in question suddenly shows up dead in her back yard, and his wife is the prime suspect.

Cozy Mysteries Collection – Home for the Holidays , Road to Savannah, Suite Revenge, Winds of Deception, Lethal Lobster, Magnolia Mansion Mysteries – Hope Callaghan …… This was a fun read. Six books pulled from four of Hope Callaghan’s series, one of them on board a cruise ship. They aren’t book 1 of each series either, which means the reader gets a taste of story progression well into the series. Some are holiday, and some are home themed. They were all good.

Happy Reading! I hope you are finding many good books to hang out with.