I have been thinking a lot, this week, about the good men in my life. I’ve never thought like this before, not really. It seems like the after-effects of the bad men in my life have completely taken over; you can tell this because I’ve mentioned them to you more than once with nary a word about any of the good guys.
I’ve never before thought to question how I knew from an early age that not all men were bad. Now, I realize there has to be experience behind the knowledge, it doesn’t just happen.
There are very few childhood memories left to give me clues, however, I do have adult memories of Mom’s stories. She talked often about leaving us with Aunt Jenny and Uncle Donald. Uncle Donald was Grandpa’s brother. He was kind, smiled a lot, and cared about kids. I have teenage memories of him and can see how the little me would have loved being with him. Grandpa was reserved and didn’t smile a lot but I felt safe with him too. I could let down my guard, and did, when we lived with him as young teens.
There were two separate camps in my early life. The good guys, and the bad guys. Now. as I take the time to think about it, I realize how blessed I was. Not everyone has the privilege of experiencing the good with the bad.
Since then, there have been other good guys in my life, too, and I treasure them all.
I am going to leave you with just one book this time.
James L Rubart is a favorite author and I hope to do a feature on him soon. There are a number of his books in my kindle collection and I need to tell you about them sometime.
He has a unique style of writing but is not alone in it as there are several others sharing a similar style. Frank Peretti is one of them. There is always a bit of fantasy in his stories.
I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.
The Man He Never Was – James L Rubart….. Toren Daniels wakes up one day and feels like a different person. And has no idea why.
He was a professional football player with a raging temper that finally got him kicked out of the league. Without the usual outlet, his family bore the brunt of his temper tantrums and they were about to kick him out too.
Toren disappeared one day, was gone so long everyone thought he was dead, and his family moved on with a feeling of relief. They were not happy to see him on the doorstep eight months later.
Now, he has two things to figure out:
- Where was he for eight months and what has been done to him?
- How does he convince his family he has changed, so he can get them back?
A story well worth the time.
Happy reading!
I hope you have some good people in your life too.
Wild Wyoming Hearts – Marrying Miss Marshal book 1 – Lacy Williams ….. Dana Carpenter, the town marshal, with abilities unrecognized by local citizens, has to work alone because no one is willing to work with her.
Clayburn Novels – Remember to Forget – Deborah Raney …. Maggie Anderson has been living under her boyfriend’s tyranny for two years, but circumstances change with a carjacking on the middle of the night run to pick up his whiskey.
Crowns and Courtships – Heart of a Prince book 1 – Carol Moncado …. Vacationing Jordan Haines has been on the water longer than he should have. Needing a rest, he spies an empty secluded private beach.
Crystal Lake Series – A Soldier’s Promise book 2 – Laura Scott…. Julie Crain has a soft heart for people in need but doesn’t want to get involved this time. Not after the last attempt to help turned into a relationship that ended badly.
The Jess Williams Trilogy books 1 – 3 – Robert J Thomas – This is a Western thriller series with a take-no-prisoner outlook on life.
Women and War Series – Molly book 3 – Ellie Keaton …. Molly wants to join the war effort as a pilot but the US Air Force is not admitting female pilots, yet. Britain on the other hand is desperate for pilots. Travelling by ship, Molly and her friends face the threat of U-boats and other perils before they even set foot in Britain. The man she loves is over there somewhere too, as a fighter pilot, and it has been two years since she last heard from him.
Cornerstone series – Goodbye, Magnolia book 1 – Krista Noorman … Maggie is secure in the smooth operation of her successful wedding photography business, until uncertainty shows up in the form of an old, and unloved, classmate. Forced by circumstances to form an alliance with a man she considers the enemy, she has to face up to her fears, and incorrect assumptions.
8 Minutes to… Digital Winter – Mark Hitchcock and Alton Gansky … a twenty-two year old savant, with physical limitations, spends all of his time on his computer, creating a virus capable of taking out power grids everywhere. Aided by a shadowy companion he sends out the virus causing world wide blackouts, everywhere but in his New York apartment. Government agencies scramble to figure out who is behind all this, and his parents wonder at the power they have while others around them don’t.
A Nest of Sparrows – Deborah Raney…. Wade didn’t expect to ever fall in love, but he did. And he loved her three children as if they were his own. The unthinkable happens before the wedding can take place and Wade and the children are left to cope with their grief. Uncertainty is very real as it isn’t clear if he will be able to keep them.
Wings of Glory – A Distant Melody book 1- Sarah Sundin …. Allie will do anything to gain her mother’s approval, including marrying a man she doesn’t love. Lt Walter Novak is fearless in the cockpit but hopeless with women. He takes his last furlough at home, before shipping out, to attend a wedding , meeting Allie, forming a friendship around a mutual love of music. Can they untangle their secrets and commitments soon enough to have a future together. Wings of Glory follows the three Novak brothers, B17 bomber pilots stationed in England during World War II. 4 stars
The Omega Trilogy – Unbound book 1- J B Simmons … Elijah Goldsmith is trying to ignore dreams he has been having, nightmares about a dragon destroying St Peter’s Basilica in Rome. He’s never been to Rome. Graduating soon, he is applying to be a spy with the International Security Agency where he meets Naomi. There is a strong attraction between them and she makes him want to share his secrets. As they delve into finding an interpretation for the dreams it seems there is more to their attraction than romance, something else is at play here. The year is 2066, when the world ends. 4 stars I hope to read the next two in this Sci-Fi/Fantasy series.
Trial by Fire – DiAnn Mills….. Special Agent Savannah Barrett and her partner SA Paul Winston are in the middle of investigating a number of puzzling church fires when she receives word her estranged son and his wife have been killed in a car accident, She is instantly guardian to three grandchildren she didn’t know she had. Life is thrown into disarray as she adjusts to having children again. And life is even worse when the church arsonist begins to target her, and her family. 4 stars
Talking to The Dead: a Novel – Bonnie Grove … Kate Davis is struggling after the unexpected death of her husband. She can’t bear to go upstairs so she has been camped out on the sofa in the living room for weeks. She hasn’t bathed, changed clothes or been out of the house, and she can’t sleep – because her husband Kevin keeps talking to her. She is questioning her sanity. She tries many places to find help with this but fails miserably. Until she meets Jack, a warm hearted, unconventional pastor of a ramshackle church. Kevin’s voice seems to get quieter, until she begins to uncover his secrets, then he starts yelling. This was a good book, definitely a different twist.
The Lady’s Slipper – Deborah Swift … English artist Alice Ibbetson discovers the fragile flower she thought was extinct, in the nearby forest and steals it. She wants to paint it and find a way preserve it’s life for generations to come. She is not the only one to want it. A herbalist wants it for his medicines and a farmer wants it to increase his fortunes, hoping it will become the next craze in gardening circles. In her efforts to save the flower Alice finds herself caught up in danger, treachery and unexpected passion. Historical fiction.
Sweet Hearts of Sweet Creek – Her Heart’s Promise book 2 – Carolyne Aarsen …. As the plain sister with two beautiful siblings Nadine is used to being overlooked but she is not going to allow to late father’s employer to overlook his suspicious death. She plans to use her position as editor of the local newspaper to help her find the truth. The trouble is, her high school crush and new owner of the paper, wants the story buried. To further complicate her life, she has a sick mother, a matchmaking grandmother, and a fake boyfriend who turns out to be real.
Ladies of the Manor – The Lost Heiress book 1 – Roseanna M White …. Brook Eden was raised in the palace in Monaco, brought there under suspicious circumstances by the woman she calls Maman. She is British but has no idea who she really is and expects she is low born and could never be deemed acceptable to marry her childhood friend Justin. Things change when Justin discovers who she really is. And meeting her family with their secrets puts her life in jeopardy all over again.
Moonlighter Series – Distortion book 1 – Terri Blackstock …. Juliet Cole watches as her husband is gunned down in what she thinks is a random shooting. He has always been a model citizen and she cannot believe the things she is learning from the agencies investigating his death. There is little choice about believing when her home is ransacked and her life and that of her family is threatened. Juliet and her sisters help investigate, looking for the truth as secrets come to light, and life as she knows it crumbles. Was anything about her life real?
Riley Paige Mystery – Once Taken book 2 – Blake Pierce …. Women are showing up dead, hanging in public places tied up in straight jackets and chains. Riley Paige is popular for her ability to get inside the mind of a serial killer and when called in to help with this case is reluctant to go because she is convinced the serial killer targeting her family has not died like everyone thinks. A page turner thriller. Once Gone book 1 is still free if you want to give this author a try. In fact there is a Blake Pierce Mystery Bundle that is free with 4 books in it, even better.
A Keri Locke Mystery – A Trace of Death book 1 – Blake Pierce…. Keri, a Missing Persons detective in the Homicide division of LAPD, is haunted by the abduction of her still missing daughter. Obsessed with finding her, Keri buries herself in work to deal with the grief. A call about a girl missing two hours should have been ignored but she hears something in the mother’s voice that makes her decide to investigate. The trail has gone cold and she is ordered off the case but can’t bring herself to quit despite the possible repercussions. Everyone has secrets, especially the daughter, and the father. A dark thriller you can’t put down.
A Keri Locke Mystery – A Trace of Murder book 2 – Blake Pierce…. Keri, still haunted by the loss of her daughter has the first solid lead in years but she has to put it aside when a frantic call comes in from a well known plastic surgeon reporting his wife has been missing for 2 days. Keri is teamed up with a new partner (one she hates) while her regular partner recuperates from injuries sustained in the last case. On the surface it looks like this well liked socialite has tired of her life and run away but conflicting evidence makes Keri think there is something sinister going on. Another engrossing thriller.
Sloane Monroe Mystery – Bed of Bones book 5 – Cheryl Bradshaw … Sometimes even the deepest, darkest secrets find their way to the surface. 13 year old Willie Compton and his younger brother Leonard stumble upon an old mineshaft. Leonard’s slinky flips in to the opening and he slips and falls in when he reaches for it. Present day interest in the mines has grown and the mysteries of the past are about to meet the present.
Full Heart Ranch Series – See Me, Cover Me book 4 – Barbara Gee…. Tanner James can barely remember who he was before FBI. Years of dangerous undercover work can change a man. He has learned to be whoever he needs to be to protect himself but that all changes when his boss orders him to take time off. One look in this cold volunteer’s eyes and determined Izzy Harding is plotting ways to lighten the man’s burdens. A task not for the faint of heart.
The Lacemaker – Laura Frantz …. I haven’t read this one yet but have already started and it looks interesting. It’s about the American revolution and Lady Elizabeth Liberty Lawson. I think I have read books about her part in the war and the contribution she made inspite of the threat of being branded a spy. I’m interested in reading this one because I am intrigued with this author and would like to check her out, to see if she lives up to the recommendations. If it shows up in the list you will know I liked it.
The Mercy Falls Collection – The Light Keeper’s Daughter book 1 – Colleen Coble…. Addie Sullivan’s life is turned upside down when a stranger tells her she is not who she thinks she is, and the woman she calls mother, is not. Many secrets swirl around her presence in the lighthouse. To give them time to discover where the true danger lies the stranger suggests she take the position of governess in the household of her birth.
Out of the Blue Bouquet (Crossroads Collection book 1)
Logan Point Series – Shadows of the Past book 1 – Patricia Bradley is one I read a couple of years ago. I was reminded of it today as I was considering another of her books and was trying to remember if I had read anything of hers before. I found this one and read the last of it to see if I enjoyed it. I did and now I am looking forward to reading the latest download from her which is;
A Memphis Cold Case – Justice Buried book 2 – Patricia Bradley
The last one to recommend tonight.
A Mia Quinn Mystery – A Matter of Trust book 1 – Lis Wiehl ….. Mia and her friend are chatting, while searching their respective basements for garage sale items, when she hears a pop and her friend drops the phone. Her friend has been murdered and Mia’s boss, the Crown Prosecutor, wants her to team up with a homicide detective to figure out who did this. Mia and the detective have history, they worked a case that did not go well because of his blunder, he is the last person she wants to work with. There is already enough pressure in her life, with her husband’s recent fatal accident, and a teenage son struggling to adjust to their new reality. The trouble is, she can’t walk away from the search for her best friends murderer.
A Mia Quinn Mystery – A Deadly Business book 2 – Lis Wiehl ….. A potentially deadly attack in the court room, when the 22 year old defendant lunged at her with a razor blade, emphasises the inherent danger in her occupation, and Mia worries about her kids. The last thing she wants is to bring danger home with her. It may already be to late to stop it. As more secrets about his life come to light, her husband’s accident may not have been an accident. Charlie, the homicide detective Mia works with, has had suspicions, and there is evidence to back them up. The thing is, no one is interested in reopening the case. They are on their own. And their efforts have been noticed, and the noticers are not happy.
A Mia Quinn Mystery – Lethal Beauty book 3 – Lis Wiehl ….. It should have been an open and shut murder case but nothing went as it should have. A young Chinese prostitute is stabbed to death by her rich American client and his high powered lawyer gets him off. There seems to be double standards and prejudice working against justice being done. Missing witnesses, more killings, and attacks on her family point to a criminal involvement on a deep level.
Miracle at the Higher Grounds Café – Max Lucado …. Chelsea has the responsibility of a café inherited unexpectedly from her mother. It seemed like this would be a blessing, a good way to start life on her own after a separation from a cheating husband. Things are often not what we expect though. It’s a good thing she has help in ways she couldn’t predict, she will need it.
Promise for Tomorrow Series – Friends & Enemies book 1 – Terri Wangard …. Paul has always dreamed of flying, joining the Air Force seemed like a good way to achieve it. Rachael, his wife and childhood sweetheart, is not happy to see him heading off to war, a war they both have mixed emotions about because of Rachael’s best friend Heidi. In America for high school and now back in her German homeland, it has been a number of years since they’ve seen each other but they haven’t forgotten. With every mission, Paul thinks of Rachael’s friend and her family, and prays their bombs will miss them.
The Nick Kismet Adventures Volume 1 – Sean Ellis… I’ve read the first book, the Shroud of Heaven, it is a middle eastern adventure involving historical artifacts and struggles for possession. It was a good story but it was like an action movie, full of car chases and gun fights. I was telling my grandsons about the book, that there were too many chases for my liking. My son-in-law thought it sounded like a pretty good book. This is one for the guys!
A Sunset Cove Novel – The Inn at Ocean’s Edge book 1 – Colleen Coble …. When Claire makes a visit to the luxury hotel in a beautiful resort town, repressed memories begin to surface. Claire disappeared from her 4th birthday party at the hotel, reappearing at the same hotel a year later, and no one knew where she had been. She didn’t even know she had been missing and her parents seem to be discouraging her from remembering. Her friend Luke’s mother also disappeared that weekend. There must be a connection somehow.
A Sunset Cove Novel – Mermaid Moon book 2 – Colleen Coble …. Mallory hasn’t been back to her hometown in fifteen years but when her dad dies on his mail route she has to go back. Kevin, the local game warden, is warily helping her solve her dad’s murder, Mallory broke his heart the day she left.
A Sunset Cove Novel – Twilight at Blueberry Barrens book 3 – Colleen Coble …. Kate has shouldered the responsibility of her families blueberry farm but when the crop fails she has to look for a new way to make ends meet. Renting out their cabin when Drake and his nieces show up looking for a place seems like a solution to her dilemma. It’s even better when he needs a nanny for the girls while he spends time looking for his brother’s killer. Life would be good for Kate except someone seems to be stalking her.
Northern Intrigue – Winter’s Secret book 1 – Lyn Cote …. Someone is vandalizing during a record winter, targeting empty homes of senior citizens. Wendy, their public health nurse, is always the one to discover the break ins and seems to be the common thread between all of them. Rod is the new sheriff in town and the opposition to his appointment is not helping his investigation. It seems this town has secrets.
A Land of Canaan Novel – Seek Me with All Your Heart book 1 – Beth Wiseman …. Why would the Amish move to Colorado leaving their friends and family behind. For Emily and her family the reason is personal. They are trying to start over after her devastating attack. David’s family has moved for reasons he doesn’t understand and he wants to find a way to go back to the home he loved. An attraction blooms between Emily and David but they each have a secret that makes a future seem impossible for them.
Finding Love At the Oregon Coast – a romantic novella collection – Angela Ruth Strong, Christina Coreyell, Heather Woodhaven, Lisa Phillips ….. when a wedding is cancelled, three bridesmaids and a runaway bride contemplate the true meaning of love in four related novels.
Untangled: The Truth will set you free – Michele Pillar …. The personal story of a successful singing career derailed by tragedy and bad choices, and how facing the truth of her life and choices, gave her a second chance at a career and more. Truth brought freedom to the tangled mess that was her life.
For the Love of Books 