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Free book May 16, 2021

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BookRunes has a FREE suggestion that looks interesting. It seems pretty clear that there is baggage involved. Lots of it.

Baggage Claim (Hope Again Book 1)

Amazon quote:

There had to be at least one healthy branch on his family tree…

Who can he trust?
When Ben Taylor, widower and father of four lively children, decides to track down his biological parents, he discovers a family tree with tangled roots and broken branches. The deeper he digs, the more Ben would rather cover it all up again and pretend he never met them.

Things grow exponentially more complicated when he discovers shady dealings at his job at Great Lakes Therapy. Piece by piece, his comfortable life crumbles as he becomes caught up in a dangerous network of fraud and deception. Anxious to protect his children, he convinces their nanny – who isn’t quite what she appears to be – to take them to safety while he wrestles with just how much he can trust his “new” relatives to help. When everything is unraveled, and there is no one else to lean on, will Ben find the courage he needs to see it through and the wisdom to lean on the One who can save them all?

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That’s all I have for the moment.
I’m heading outside to work in the garden for a while. I have a This & That post rolling around in my mind so maybe it will happen a little later.

Happy Sunday Reading

Happy Mother’s Day

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Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

It’s a day to be grateful for Mothers, We all had one or we wouldn’t be here, that’s reason enough right there, to be grateful. Life is a precious gift.

Giving life is not an easy thing and wanting to do it more than once can seem like insanity. Those of us who are not firstborn are grateful Mom was excited about a new baby and seemed to forget the down side to the whole process.

If the pregnancy/giving birth thing wasn’t enough to discourage her, the terrible-two’s and potty training surely should have done it. That alone tells us why mothers need to be appreciated. For a week or more at least, never mind this business of only one day.

If we are truly honest, it’s a wonder some of us made it past childhood. You know who you are, don’t try to hide.

We are grateful for moms who gave us life and loved us enough to let us keep it.

Photo by Secret Garden on Pexels.com

Love you Mom!

Read and enjoyed May 08, 2021

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My favorite book so far this week is a parallel, modern and historical. The common denominator is a poignant painting with a checkered past and a complicated present.

I’m not always a fan of blending timelines but in this case it works. Probably the biggest reason, it allows for showing rather than telling. We need both time frames because they are intertwined and the present story only makes sense if we can understand the past.

There is an unforgettable painting with unknown origins. It appeared in the most terrible of circumstances and combining past and present stories adds the right amount of lightness to make the story relatable. The love stories play out in both time frames as the book moves along. The events are unpredictable and the resolution to the story is unexpected.

I would describe the unexpected but that would give away the ending which would never do.

I agree with the reviews quoted below. Unforgettable.

The Butterfly and the Violin (A Hidden Masterpiece Novel Book 1)

Fresh. Fascinating. Unforgettable. The Butterfly and the Violin is a masterpiece of a debut.” –Laura Frantz, author of Love’s Reckoning

“. . .impossible to put down.” —RT Book Reviews, 4 1/2 Stars, TOP PICK!

A Mysterious painting breathes hope and beauty into the darkest corners of Auschwitz–and the loneliest hearts of Manhattan.
Manhattan art dealer Sera James watched her world crumble at the altar two years ago, and her heart is still fragile. Her desire fordistraction reignites a passion for a mysterious portrait she first saw as a young girl–a painting of a young violinist with piercing blue eyes.
In her search for the painting, Sera crosses paths with William Hanover–the grandson of a wealthy California real estate mogul–who maybe the key to uncovering the hidden masterpiece. Together Sera and William slowly unravel the story behind the painting’s subject: Austrian violinist Adele Von Bron.

A darling of the Austrian aristocracy of 1942, talented violinist, and daughter to a high-ranking member of the Third Reich, Adele risks everything when she begins smuggling Jews out of Vienna. In a heartbeat, her life of prosperity and privilege dissolves into a world of starvation and barbed wire.

As Sera untangles the secrets behind the painting, she finds beauty in the most unlikely of places: the grim camps of Auschwitz and the inner recesses of her own troubled heart.

I will admit, I lost sleep over this difficult to put down book.

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Bargain books May 6, 2021

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Four new good looking treasures. Awesome.

One, I have already but want to mention it anyway. I’ve not read it yet but it is supposed to be good.

Traces by Denise Weimer

Amazon quote:

Even if she evades The Eye, someone wants her silenced.

When a failed romance and a $500,000 prize lure Kate Carson into participating in the reality TV show, Traces, the least she expects is to pick her partner. After all, she’s the PR spokeswoman of the company that derived a thirteen-lens, rotating camera from military use and installed it atop Atlanta’s tallest skyscraper. But she never would have chosen to evade techno hunters for twenty days with “G.I. Joe.”

Stoic, ex-military Alex Mitchell is the sort of man she always vowed to avoid, while the shadows of Alex’s past cause him to spurn emotional involvement. When Kate’s insider knowledge makes her a target of someone more threatening than game show hunters, Alex offers her only hope to reveal the dark plans of proponents of The Eye.

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Looking through the suggestion strips uncovered three more I’m excited to read.

I see I’ve read and enjoyed the first two books in this next series.

Starstruck in Willow Falls (Willow Falls Series Book 3) 

Amazon quote:

An acting career on the brink of failure. An upstaged debut novel. A wedding turned into a country-fried spectacle. Book three in the award-winning Willow Falls series has it all.

When a film crew and famous movie stars swoop into Willow Falls to film a full-length motion picture, the small town’s new normal as a popular North Georgia tourist destination is thrown into chaos.

Rachel Streetman fears her life-long dream to act is drifting into oblivion and leaving behind bitter regret. Weeks away from marrying Charlie Bricker, their relationship is tested after she auditions for a role opposite a handsome actor notorious for marrying his co-stars.    

Timing couldn’t be worse for Emily Hayes. Her debut novel arrives two days before residents read about the movie-crew invasion in the local paper. The town’s number one gossip accuses Emily of using her editor position to keep the news a secret and give her sister an audition advantage. When Emily and Rachel accept the job as the director’s liaisons, their patience is stretched to the limit by starstruck residents, demanding stage mothers, and wannabe stars.

When Sadie Liles’ budding relationship with Charlie’s father is threatened by an unexpected visitor, the townsfolk rally to stage a protest as American as sweet-potato pie. Will their efforts pay off or drive Brick away forever?

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This next one is a new-to-me author. The first few paragraphs do look interesting.

The Perfect Spy: A Clean Romantic Suspense (An Untapped Source Book 1) 

Amazon quote:

She’s got the best undercover crew. But will a sinister secret undo them?

Kate Ross has lost way too much in the last six months. With her mother’s death from breast cancer, an agent she handled killed on the job, and her career in jeopardy, the beleaguered CIA officer’s faith in God seems like another casualty. So she’s relieved to be offered a shot at redemption by managing an innovative team of “mom spies”… until they saddle her with a more experienced man as a babysitter.

Battling self-doubt and a loss of confidence in her espionage skills, Kate directs a smoothly successful first mission for the unit. But just as she opens up to her kind and encouraging supervisor, she suspects he’s withholding key information when the subject of their next assignment is his ex-wife. And the only solution to her predicament may be prayers she has no expectation will be answered.

Can Kate find the guiding light to solve the case before her personal crisis threatens national security?

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This next one will be a difficult read. It exposes the abusive fraudulent and hopefully, also shows the kindness of real. Reading the first two pages I’m rooting for someone to stand up and say enough. I want to read more.

Love the Lord Your God with all your heart (The Cooper Family Book 1)

Amazon quote:

AJ Carter lives in a recurring nightmare. On the outside, her family are model citizens, outstanding Christians. There is a lot more going on under the surface than anybody, except for her best friend, knows. She has been a Christian all her life. But God… she feels that He’s just not interested in what happens in her life.

Mac Cooper has his own battles to fight. He has learned that he can’t fight them alone, that he needs help from the Lord. When he is given an opportunity to help AJ out, he finds himself very intrigued by her. But will God help him earn her trust? And perhaps her love?

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Last but not least, we have a change of pace with a fifth book. Kind of a retelling of Beauty and the Beast

The Billionaire Recluse: A Beauty and the Beast Romance Retelling (A Billionaire’s Tale Romance Series Book 1) 

Amazon quote:

He sees a beast, but she sees the beauty within.

With severe burn scars to over half his body, billionaire, Sebastian Bryant keeps himself locked away in his home where he lives and works as CEO in the family business. After almost losing his daughter in the same house fire that took his wife, Sebastian has no idea how to care for the child, nor can he seem to keep a nanny on his employment roster for very long before his daughter scares them away.

Isabel Jordan has just broken up with her self-centered boyfriend and moves back home with her eccentric, inventor father who has somehow managed to put the family home in jeopardy. When she sees an online ad for a nanny position, she applies for the position, hoping to help dig her father out of his debt and save the home she grew up in.

Pressured by his mother to hire a suitable nanny, and finding Isabel only a step above the others, Sebastian hires her to care for his daughter. With his brother biting at the bit for the CEO position, Sebastian’s mother warns him that he can be replaced if he can’t manage to keep a nanny on to care for his daughter.

Isabel can hardly stand the self-loathing billionaire, but if she quits, her father will lose his home.

Forced to spend each day together, Isabel finds the beauty hidden beneath his scars and a little girl begging for the affections of her beastly father. If only she could make him see what she sees.

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I’d better quit while I’m ahead. There were three or four more possibles so I added them to my wish list. That will help me find them again. I can revisit them tomorrow and hopefully they will still a bargain.

I’m scared to tally up my book spending for last month, I have a feeling I’ve gone over budget, again. I have a feeling this month may not do so well either, the way things are going.

Oh well. I’m having fun.

I hope you are too.

Happy reading y’all.

Bargain books April 28, 2021

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BookBub has a suggestion for us with one of our favorite authors.

Never Forget the Past: A Clean Romantic Suspense (The Men of Fire Beach Book 3) 

Amazon quote:

Could you let your family believe you were dead if you thought it was the only way to save them?

Five years ago, Billy “Bubba” Campbell had a different name, but after narrowly escaping an attempt on his life, he fakes his death and leaves town to keep his family safe. He’s adjusted to life in Fire Beach, but when Makenna re-enters his life, he is forced to make a gut-wrenching decision: Continue living his lie or return to his hometown to help her catch the killer.

Captain Makenna Drake believed she was saving Matt Fisher’s life when she convinced him to leave his life behind, but now the fires have started again. As the only victim to survive, she hopes seeing Matt will fluster the killer enough to make a mistake. But can she protect him this time or will the killer finish the job started five years ago?

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This next book was suggested yesterday and the suggester’s name escapes me. It’s definitely still a bargain.

Flying Fossils (Women of Fossil Ridge Book 1)

Amazon quote:

“Some women play bingo and go quietly into the night. My mother steals cars and breaks out of Alzheimer’s units.”

From USA TODAY bestselling Author Lynne Gentry comes this heartwarming peek inside a mother/daughter relationship turned upside down.

My aging mother is proof that not every southern woman is sweet tea and sympathy. Momma can’t remember which road to take when she has to drive from her ranch to the small town where she grew up. But she can recount every detail of the day I broke her heart. Her inability to forgive me has made her as crusty as the tiny fossils that cover the river’s limestone bluffs. After wasting twenty-five years trying to chip away this hurt, I finally decided it was just easier to stay away.

Then Momma fell and broke her hip. I flew home to try to mend fences with her one more time. Her refusal to let me take her back to Washington DC to convalesce left me no choice but to leave her in an assisted living center in Texas. I regret telling her that I thought her memory lapses meant it was time to sell the ranch. The moment she was strong enough to manipulate her walker, she stole a car and broke out of rehab. Just to prove me wrong. Again.

Now Momma is missing and I’m sandwiched between two impossible choices: stay in DC with my troubled teenager or go to Texas to find my demented mother. Either way, I feel like I’ve already lost.

The story of the Slocum women is the story many of us are facing. Navigating the care of an aging parent while parenting our own children is never easy. Some days you just have to laugh to keep from crying.

This series serves up a generous helping of laughs and hope. It’s a touching addition to your collection of southern small-town, generational authors like Ann B. Ross, Jan Karon, and Beth Hoffman.

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Currently I’m reading and enjoying an author new to me, it is still a bargain and so are books 1 & 3 in the series. This is definitely holding my interest.

Every Secret Thing (Acts of Valor, Book 2): Romantic Suspense

Amazon quote:

Former NFL Player Turned Navy SEAL Battles Life and Death for Love and Justice in the Christian Romantic Suspense, Every Secret Thing, by Rebecca Hartt

–Present Day, Virginia Beach, Virginia–

Navy SEAL Lt. Lucas Strong isn’t about to let his platoon leader, Lt. Mills, go to prison for a crime he didn’t commit. It’s their retiring commander who should face court-martial for amassing stolen weapons. With the evidence proving the commander’s guilt destroyed, and every witness dead, Lucas must find his only remaining hope, Charlotte Patterson, a gutsy NCIS intern with a photographic memory–missing but believed alive.

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Another interesting book showed up just when I thought I was done.

Copycat Killer (True Blue K-9 Unit: Brooklyn Book 1)

Amazon quote:

Murder strikes close to home for a new K-9 unit in Brooklyn

When a double homicide is strikingly familiar to a twenty-year-old cold case, Detective Nate Slater is rattled by the parallels. With a child as the only witness, he and his K-9 partner must protect little Lucy and her aunt, Willow Emery. Nate’s rough past means he always keeps an emotional distance…but in this case getting closer is the only way they’ll all survive.

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OK, I’m going to stop looking now.

If you have opinions on any of the authors shared here I would appreciate hearing about it. It would be help me make good choices, to know your likes and dislikes. I’m guessing on somethings and could be wrong. Please leave comments. Much appreciated.

Happy reading.

Bargain books April 23rd Part 2

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I promised if anything else showed up I’d let you know. Well, it has. Book 1 in this new series by a favorite author was available last week and now book 2 is available this week. They are both at bargain prices… a good deal. I’ve read book 1 and I’m excited to see book 2 already.

Axel: a clean romantic suspense (Lantern Beach Blackout: The New Recruits Book 2) 

Amazon quote:

Women are missing. Private security firm Blackout must find them before another victim disappears.

Axel Hendrix likes to live on the edge. That’s why being a Navy SEAL suited him so well. But after his last mission, he cut his losses and joined Blackout instead. His team’s latest case involves an undercover investigation on Lantern Beach.

Olivia Rollins came to the island to escape her problems—and danger. When trouble from her past shows up in town, she impulsively blurts she’s engaged to Axel, the womanizing man she’s seen while waitressing. Now, she may not be the only one in danger. So could Axel.

Axel knows Olivia might be his chance to find answers and that acting like her fiancé is the perfect cover for his latest assignment. But he doesn’t like throwing Olivia into the middle of such a dangerous situation. Nor is he comfortable with the feelings she stirs inside him. 

With Olivia’s life—as well as both their hearts—on the line, Axel must uncover the truth and stop an evil plan before more lives are destroyed.

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Book 1 in this series was my favorite read last week. I couldn’t put it down until the last page was turned. Here is the description as a refresher.

Rocco: a clean romantic suspense novel (Lantern Beach Blackout: The New Recruits Book 1)

Former Navy SEAL and new Blackout recruit Rocco Foster is on a simple in and out mission. But the operation turns complicated when an unsuspecting woman wanders into the line of fire.

Peyton Ellison’s life mission is to sprinkle happiness on those around her. When a cupcake delivery turns into a fight for survival, she must trust her rescuer—a handsome stranger—to keep her safe.

Rocco is determined to figure out why someone is targeting Peyton. First, he must keep the intriguing woman safe and earn her trust. But threats continue to pummel them as incriminating evidence emerges and pits them against each other.

With time running out, the two must set aside both their growing attraction and their doubts about each other in order to work together. But the perilous facts they discover leave them wondering what exactly the truth is . . . and if the truth can be trusted.

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My current read is not easy. Lives are messy and people who should be loving are anything but. They are rigid and judgmental. This book is well written in that the story unfolds layer by layer. At 2/3 of the way through I have no solid idea how it might end. I have some guesses but there are too many unpredictable players to say for sure.

illusions (The Apple Hill Series Book 2) 

One reckless night. A lifetime of regret.

Corey Schaffer has spent her entire marriage privately repenting a horrible mistake made the week before her wedding. When her teenaged daughter is in car accident, Corey blames herself and aches to confess all to her husband.

Additionally, their son’s thoughtless rebellion has put her husband Paul’s pastoral position at risk, and he’s finding it hard to forgive. If he can’t forgive Michael how can he forgive her?

It all comes to a head when a disgruntled church member sees an opportunity for revenge.

Corey must dig deep to find the courage to help her family. Even if that means walking away.

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Until tomorrow,

Happy Reading!

Spring is Bustin’ Out all Over

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It is. Well, not quite yet at my house but, by the looks of this, it is at somebody’s house.

A beloved family member was out for a walk in the sunshine this morning, enjoying the scenery in her neighborhood, and shared some of her favorite spots with us. I think she may have even been bragging just a bit.

I have her permission to share with you. It is incredibly beautiful this time of year in her city, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada and these pictures are but a little taste of what it really looks like. I have to issue this disclaimer because some of the die-hard spring lovers over there would be wild to think that we aren’t showing the absolute best of what spring is really like in that part of the world.

For those of us living where winter comes for sure every year, we would be thrilled to pieces to have our world looking like this in the spring. I wouldn’t mind walking around the block, one bit.

Beloved family member will be 90 something this year… 4, maybe. I think she is amazing to be out walking around the neighborhood, snapping pictures on her iphone, sending them to those of us not lucky enough to live where she does lol.

One of those balconies up there is hers. On a sunny day she can sit out on the deck with a nice cup of tea, enjoying the mountains behind us, (work with me here, pretend we are right there looking up at her building) and yes, we do get to see those pictures too. Awesome.

Posting these pictures reminds me of some others I’d love to share if I could find them quickly. Since I can’t … next time.

Read and enjoyed middle of April 2021

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It’s time to clear out some of the backlog of finished reads, once again.

This first one was a fun read. Definitely a different twist on a romance story. Autumn MacArthur does come up with well crafted stories regularly, always worth reading.

Forget Paris: Sweet and clean Valentine’s Day Christian romance in Paris and London with an anti-romance heroine! (Love In Store Book 5) 

Zoe’s determined to prove that romance is an illusion and love based on it doesn’t last. Though when she meets Gabe Ross, there to fulfil his mother’s dying wish by placing a lovelock on a bridge for her and his father, even she finds it hard to resist the most romantic city in the world on the most romantic day of the year.

An impulsive challenge to try a psychological experiment isn’t part of her research plan.

Especially when it feels like more, much more, for both of them.

Zoe tells herself their one wonderful day together proves nothing, only gives more evidence her theory is right.

But on her return to London, she discovers she needs Gabe’s help to learn the biggest lesson of all, that love does last.

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I really liked this next story too. It held my attention, was believable and was a story worth reading. It didn’t feel like any other story I’d read and that’s a very good thing.

Run With My Heart: Sweet, Christian Christmas Romance: (A Texas Tornadoes Single Author Sports Romance book 2) (Texas Tornados)

Pro football player Tucker Jackson has a chip on his shoulder. His mother died when he was young, his father threw himself into his work, and the team he now plays for is in danger of losing their season.

His anger drives him to a bar where an ensuing fight earns him service at a community center. Can he find a way to tame his ire before it destroys his dreams forever?

Shelby Doll has a heart for kids, but the community center she runs is short on funds. Tucker Jackson is her last hope to keep the doors open, but will he leave her in a lurch when it matters the most?

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This next one is about the life of a young Jewish woman from the Bronx who found herself with a singing career back in the hippie days of the seventies, the child of Holocaust survivors.

Eventually she married into a bluegrass family and music became a lifelong way of life for her and her family.

Life is always affected by dramatic experiences of all family members and Lily’s was no different. She shares both the good and the painful, but mostly the good.

I enjoyed this book even more because I have closely followed her family’s career or the last decade or two.

You Don’t Cry Out Loud: The Lily Isaacs Story 

An unforgettable autobiography of Lily Isaac, the daughter of Holocaust survivors who rejected her Jewish heritage for a life with Jesus Christ and a music career.

Throughout her music and that of her children, who together form the beloved and multi-award winning group The Isaacs, you hear the resonating inspirational legacy of this family’s faith. Fans struggle to put the book down and are captivated by:

  • An autobiographical look at Lily’s life, from being a Jewish folk singer to serving as vocalist and matriarch of The Isaacs
  • The powerful account of her struggle with a once unknown faith and how she finally “cried her way to God from the church’s back pew”
  • The incredible insights behind heartbreaking moments which were her greatest opportunities of faith.

Whether surviving breast cancer or a challenging career, Lily’s steady refrain has been one of God’s constant love, comfort, and strength. Her story of survival is raw and compelling. It will inspire your Christian faith and help to put your own personal struggles in perspective.

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Now for a bunch that were read and enjoyed. It will be a just glimpse to fit them all it.

There’s more but I think this is enough for today.

Happy reading y’all

So much wisdom, so much empathy

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This is a deeply touching interview filled with wisdom, understanding and empathy. And hope. So much hope. I have to share.

I hope you find it as comforting as I did. In these difficult days we need to hear voices filled with wisdom and hope.

Rick Warren has experienced unbelievable pain. Toward the end of the video he shares what it was like to live through it. He puts heavy emphasis on living through it.

This interview is posted by a gifted podcaster Carey Nieuwhof. He knows how to ask questions that will mine the depths and bring out the best in his guests. Always a blessing to the listener.

May you feel as blessed as I do right now.

Read and enjoyed April 12, 2021

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Lots of meat to chew on with this read. T.D. Jakes always has many thought provoking things to add to any story and this was no exception. He gives us an in-depth look at four woman types and the hardest one for me to read was the one most like me. All of the women were hurting in one way or another, that’s the way life is. Difficult patches in life are inevitable. It’s what we do with them that will make or break us.

T.D. Jakes doesn’t hold back, he tells it raw and real. He doesn’t expose us and then leave us hanging out to dry. He leaves us with answers (not always the ones we want to hear but answers nevertheless) and points us to hope. Some people will tear us all apart pointing out the broken places then walking away. He doesn’t ever tear us apart, rather he sheds a light in the dark places to help us see the important things we are missing. His goal is to help us choose a better way.

The broken among us have bought into lies we’ve been told over and over. His novel is one more tool in the arsenal to help us break out of our prison of lies.

He is a great story teller. Everything he is trying to share is woven into the fabric of the story making it strong. The best kind.

Cover Girls by T.D. Jakes

This compelling novel follows four women as they learn to balance children, estranged husbands, boyfriends, and problems at work through their faith in God.

Michelle, Tonya, Mrs. Judson, and Miz Ida. African-American, white, rich, poor — they seemingly have nothing in common. Yet every day they face the complex realities of twenty-first-century urban life as they try to balance their needs with their belief in God. Through the course of a year, these women must come to terms with the past, discover their true identities, and recognize the unexpected miracles that reveal God’s all-encompassing love.

These four women entertain us and invite us to join in their lives. As they welcome us, they also introduce us to the men in their lives. The men play supporting roles, adding color and zest to the lives of the Cover Girls.

Bishop Jakes knows the struggles real women encounter and the losses that make it difficult to face the future. He brings compassionate insight and deep wisdom to this novel and proves that he is not only a gifted preacher, but a born storyteller.

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Currently, I’m into a lighter read. It’s not fluffy by any means, just lighter by comparison.

Run With My Heart: Sweet, Christian Christmas Romance: (A Texas Tornadoes Single Author Sports Romance book 2) (Texas Tornados) 

A football player who’s lost. A woman in danger of losing all she loves. Could he be the Christmas Miracle she’s been praying for?

Pro football player Tucker Jackson has a chip on his shoulder. His mother died when he was young, his father threw himself into his work, and the team he now plays for is in danger of losing their season.

His anger drives him to a bar where an ensuing fight earns him service at a community center. Can he find a way to tame his ire before it destroys his dreams forever?

Shelby Doll has a heart for kids, but the community center she runs is short on funds. Tucker Jackson is her last hope to keep the doors open, but will he leave her in a lurch when it matters the most?

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Happy Reading!