fantasy

Free and bargain books June 06, 2022

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Playing catch up again on great book suggestions.

1531 Entertainment has several suggestions for us.

The River Beautiful by Andrea Carmen

A difficult past. A strange letter. An unsolved mystery.

Someone is following Lena, mapping her every move.

Where strength can be weakness and vulnerability-an asset, the greatest danger that threatens Lena may just be herself.

After the death of her father years ago, Lena ran from the quiet community of Kennerdell, but she’s back, forced to face a past she’d rather forget.

To make things more difficult, awkward, and terrifying, her old friend, Will, is back in her life. Even worse, she needs him there if she hopes to figure out what the letter she found in her father’s study means. They’re on a mission to find answers before her stalker does.

The River Beautiful mingles history and legend in a fast-paced ride through the deceptively peaceful Allegheny Mountains on a quest for answers amid loss, strength in the face of love, a whirlwind of self-discovery, and learning to use faith to illuminate even the darkest places.

I will admit to downloading this book several years ago and not reading it. Probably the darkness of the story was the stumbling block. Maybe I should try again, just in case now is a better time.

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This next one is another downloaded book I’ve not read. I have read and enjoyed other Ted Dekker books though. His books chart as Science Fiction and Metaphysical Fantasy.

Black (Circle Book 1)

Thomas Hunter narrowly survives a shooting attempt only to awaken in an alternate universe of green forests, a world to which he subsequently travels every time he goes to sleep.

This is the short version of a synopsis. The longer one is… long… and wild.

Check it out. He is on a quest to save the world. Both of them.

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Changing the subject totally…

BookRunes has a suggestion I have read and enjoyed.

Red Rose Bouquet: (Grace Revealed Book 2)

Cheryl Thompson learned over a decade ago to guard her shattered heart with a veil of cold indifference. Life since that day has been an endless cycle of detachment and loneliness, followed by superficial relationships. Break up, rinse, and repeat. Until something in her snaps. This life…she can’t do it anymore. She returns to her childhood home in the Colorado Rockies to help her nana.

Brock Kelly lived high as King of the Slopes in the world of snowboard cross racing. Medals. Money. Fame. But after a visit to an orphanage in Mexico, he gave up his adrenaline-packed lifestyle to follow a calling from God he didn’t know he had—helping kids who’d been damaged emotionally.

When Cheryl finally tells Brock what she’s never told anyone else…no wonder she is the way she is. It would take a miracle to heal that wound, and a love bigger than Brock had ever imagined to walk with her through the process.

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I think there could be more but that will have to be a new post.

Happy Reading y’all…

Although, with this lot it may be more tense than happy.

Tense can be good though… right?

Catch up on Bargain books June 03, 2022

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We are way behind on checking out free and bargain books and I’m trying a bit of a catch-up.

BookBub has an interesting suggestion from earlier in the week with an author new to this site. I’m looking forward to this read.

Shadow Game: A Christian Romantic Suspense (Shadow Alliance Book 1)

She must put her faith in a God she doesn’t trust in order to save a man she can never have.
Morgan Caine spent three years in prison for a crime she didn’t commit before being acquitted, but that doesn’t mean she’s innocent. While trying to rebuild her life, she takes a gamble and hacks into a computer network, stumbling across an assassination plot in the process. But despite the possible risks, she refuses to sit back and let a man die, even if he represents everything she’s never had.
But Oliver Wright is not the man she thinks he is, and her good deed traps her in a conspiracy that forces her to question everything she’s known to be true and reveals to both of them that they have more in common than they first realized. Now, with time running out, both Morgan and Oliver must decide how much they are willing to sacrifice in order to save each other.

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1531 Entertainment has an interesting suggestion.

In Search of a Prince

It seems like a dream come true . . . until it forces her to question everything.

Brielle Adebayo is fully content teaching at a New York City public school and taking annual summer vacations with her mother to Martha’s Vineyard. But everything changes when her mom drops a bombshell–Brielle is really a princess in the island kingdom of Ọlọrọ Ilé, off the coast of Africa, and she must immediately assume her royal position, since the health of her grandfather, the king, is failing.

Distraught by all the secrets her mother kept, Brielle is further left spinning when the Ọlọrọ Ilé Royal Council brings up an old edict that states she must marry before her coronation, or the crown will pass to another. Brielle is uncertain if she even wants the throne, and with her world totally shaken, where will she find the courage to take a chance on love and brave the perils a wrong decision may bring?

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Not a lot to show for the week but two new books are still appreciated, always.

It’s Friday, maybe something else will pop up and I’ll be back. I’m thinking Christy Barritt will have something new coming out soon. Hopefully. I will be checking it out.

I have some appreciated reads to share with you too. Coming soon.

Happy Reading y’all

Free books May 09, 2022

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We have books this morning! FREE ones. What could be better than that? Heroes, that’s what.

Do you ever look at a word and and feel all distressed and unsettled because it just looks wrong? I checked and it’s right but for some weird reason the spelling of heroes just looks wrong this morning. If I stare at it for awhile maybe it will look right again.

LPC Free Books has several free suggestions for us. With heroes.

The Bonfires of Beltane

It’s what the clan has always done. Since before anyone can remember, Taran’s celtic island people have sacrificed children to Crom Cruach, the dread sun god. Yet in his heart he knows it’s wrong. An escaped slave told him that in distant Britain they worship the One True God, a God who loves. A God so unlike the capricious, evil spirits that darken the souls of his people.

Now Taran’s about to be inducted into his clan’s inner circle of leaders. He promised Laurna, his betrothed, that he’d keep quiet about his doubts. But on the night of his ceremony, beside Crom Cruach, the bent idol of gold, he cannot give allegiance to a lie. Before everyone he questions the druids’ rule. Then he blames the clan’s miserable fortunes, not on the lack of sacrifices, but on the idol itself. What’s worse, he calls it a demon.

The druids are aghast. They meet in council, strip him of all honor, and order his banishment. Instead of a wedding with Laurna, there will be a tearful parting.

As the clan gathers on shore and a storm darkens the horizon, Taran paddles through the waves. But his wee craft was made for the shoreline, not the vast, raging sea. He looks back on his beloved, his people, everything he’s ever known. What has he done?

Thus begins Taran’s adventure in A.D. 432.

Beyond the sea lies ancient Celtic Ireland. There wait the Roman evangelist, Patrick, and two kingdoms ruled by powerful kings and their pagan, druid advisors. It’s a proud land where tradition is everything, where safe passage through the forests and over the bog roads is reserved for nobility, druids, warriors, or bards. Slavery or death await the rest. And the druids will do anything to remain in power and prevent Patrick and his followers from changing their ancient ways.

Will Taran find the spiritual truth he so desperately seeks? Will he escape wrathful kings and druid plots? Will he ever be able to return home, rescue his people, and rejoin his beloved Laurna?

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This next one I’ve read and enjoyed.

The Gathering Storm: The truth can set you free. It can also kill you. (When Darkness Falls Book 1)

Stephanie Walker lives a peaceful life until her undependable and dishonest father, Marty Walker, suddenly arrives at her home pleading with Stephanie to come with him to his Harrington Lodge in the beautiful Ozarks. Stephanie, suspicious of her father’s motives, declines her father’s invitation.

After his departure, Stephanie discovers the diamond necklace she borrowed from her aunt is missing. Racing through a raging thunderstorm, Stephanie drives to the lodge to reclaim the stolen item.

But when she arrives, Stephanie finds her father dead, her aunt’s diamond necklace gone, and a pair of handcuffs fitted just for her. Stephanie’s claims of innocence fail to sway the local sheriff, who produces several pieces of evidence linking her to the murder. With a shaky alibi and a vindictive stepmother, Stephanie turns to a lodge employee for help. But will Brad Wilson’s assistance lead Stephanie to the real killer or prove to be her undoing? Like a gathering storm on a warm summer evening, Stephanie’s world darkens until she’s forced to turn to the one true source of knowledge. But what she learns about her father, family, and her own inner demons are more horrifying than the lies she’s come to believe.

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I have read this author before, and I’ve read Revolutionary War stories over the years too. This one, with today’s writing styles may put a new spin on an old tale. The first chapter has me willing to take a chance.

A Heart for Freedom Janet Grunst

While in Scotland Heather Stewart witnessed the devastation and consequences of opposing the Crown.

Matthew Stewart wants only manage his rural Virginia inn and protect his family from the tyranny of the Crown.

She’s seen the cost of fighting England and wants no part of it. He has a heart for freedom and is ready to die for liberty and those he loves.

Both will find that the consequences of fighting for freedom and religious liberty will cost them more than their love for each other.

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BookBub also has a FREE book you may enjoy.

Fear Has a Name: A Pulse-Pounding Contemporary Christian Thriller (The Crittendon Files Book 1) 

Granger Meade was mentally scarred as a boy by his religious zealot parents. He was bullied at school for his quiet, oafish appearance, which naturally made him a loner and outcast.

But one girl treated him differently—Pamela Wagner. Pam talked to Granger, took an interest, listened, made him feel like a human being. She cared when no one else did, and Granger loved her for it; and still does 20 years later.

So Granger goes back to their Ohio town. Back to Pamela. But she is happily married to reporter Jack Crittendon, who’s embroiled in a time-sensitive story about a pastor who’s disappeared and left a suicide note; a case swirling with suspicion and talk of scandal.

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Happy reading y’all

Current read March 04, 2022

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I’m still excited about my current read and I did promise to share it with you. This looks to be a first book for this author and it’s great. I’m looking forward to book 2 whenever it comes out.

I enjoy fantasy but my tastes are fairly narrow in this genre. Although I guess in a way it’s not that much different from other genres, in than not every book appeals to me on a deep level. There are a select few that rate like the best meal I’ve ever eaten.

I can still remember the specific fantasy books I loved over the years. I can’t tell you the names or quote much of the story line but I still have vivid recollections of the emotional experience. Caught up in lands that belong to another realm. This book has done that for me. I’m living life with them. I love it when that happens.

Tempest: The Veil Chronicles, Book One

To unearth the truth, she must embrace the legend within.

For eighteen-year-old Lexi, freedom is a luxury. She’s spent her life evading capture for a genetic gift that feels more like a curse. Her bulletproof immunity and monstrous disfigurement is of great interest to a secret organization, but they aren’t the only ones. A cryptic tip alerts Lexi that something else hunts her—something darker.

Desperate to enjoy her life before it’s too late,Lexi leaves the protective cocoon her parents created for her and signs up for art classes at her local college. There she meets Conner, who is confined to a wheelchair, and they become friends who are willing to share each other’s secrets. But a chance encounter with Connor’s foster brother Killian changes everything.

Killian shares the same mysterious secret within his blood as Lexi. Their fateful meeting sets off a chain reaction of catastrophic events that exposes the terrifying truth—Lexi is a celestial queen of a bygone race. Connor is their last royal heir, and Killian is a half-breed abomination hated for his very existence. With Connor kidnapped by an ancient god determined to rid the world of the stain of humanity, Lexi and Killian find themselves under the protection of the secretive Order of Kings.

Lexi believes she’s been thrown into a world of myths and legends, but things are not as they seem. Lexi becomes convinced the Order is keeping dangerous secrets that threaten not just her but all of mankind.

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There are so many things I’d like to say about this book but I would be giving out spoilers and that would never do.

Right now, Lexi is in a tough spot and it will be interesting to see what surprising twist happens to facilitate her rescue. Up until now there have been awesome new details emerging at opportune moments and I can’t help but root for her as she discovers new things about who she is and the what she can do. Speaking of that, there are some crazy elements in this fantasy but I can’t tell you what they are..

I’m in the final chapters and since it’s a series I’m pretty sure the story will close on a cliff hanger.

This tale certainly is it’s own person. It is not a cookie cutter plot or a look-alike book, by any means.

I would give it 4.5 stars. There was one consistent element that didn’t seem all that important to the story and it began to be annoying. That resolved itself when something dramatic happened and the importance became clear.

Overall, this has been a very good read. Highly recommended.

Free and bargain books February 21, 2022

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LPC Free Books offered the first suggestion. The next three appeared in the suggestion strips. All four look interesting. All authors are new to me, so no opinions here but plenty of optimistic hope.

Tempest: The Veil Chronicles, Book One

To unearth the truth, she must embrace the legend within.

For eighteen-year-old Lexi, freedom is a luxury. She’s spent her life evading capture for a genetic gift that feels more like a curse. Her bulletproof immunity and monstrous disfigurement is of great interest to a secret organization, but they aren’t the only ones. A cryptic tip alerts Lexi that something else hunts her—something darker.

Desperate to enjoy her life before it’s too late,Lexi leaves the protective cocoon her parents created for her and signs up for art classes at her local college. There she meets Conner, who is confined to a wheelchair, and they become friends who are willing to share each other’s secrets. But a chance encounter with Connor’s foster brother Killian changes everything.

Killian shares the same mysterious secret within his blood as Lexi. Their fateful meeting sets off a chain reaction of catastrophic events that exposes the terrifying truth—Lexi is a celestial queen of a bygone race. Connor is their last royal heir, and Killian is a half-breed abomination hated for his very existence. With Connor kidnapped by an ancient god determined to rid the world of the stain of humanity, Lexi and Killian find themselves under the protection of the secretive Order of Kings.

Lexi believes she’s been thrown into a world of myths and legends, but things are not as they seem. Lexi becomes convinced the Order is keeping dangerous secrets that threaten not just her but all of mankind

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The Groom: A Clean and Wholesome Romance (A Keeper at Heart Romance Book 1)

The only thing more awkward than falling in love on national television is having your heart broken in front of millions of viewers.

When public school teacher Millie Kincaid signed up for the popular dating show, The Groom, falling in love was always a possibility. But then Jace proposes to someone else on the season finale, and her hurt and humiliation leave her desperate to escape the glare of Hollywood’s spotlight…until a new reality TV show provides her a shot at the money her school desperately needs.

Former star of The Groom, Jace Westfall, went from fan favorite to villain overnight. Hurting the sweet and shy Millie cost him everything: his reputation, his endorsements, and his heart. It was the last thing Jace wanted to do, but he had his reasons. Now on the verge of financial ruin, Jace finds himself left with no choice but to do another reality show.

Neither expected to face each other again, but both need the money. As they race from country to country, trying to put the past behind them, it quickly becomes clear they have a real shot at the million dollar prize…and a second chance at love.

But only if Millie and Jace can overcome the biggest obstacle that stands in their way: each other.

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Billionaire Revived: A Sweet Billionaire Romance (Love’s Redemption Series Book 1)

She’s running from a sketchy past. He’s a billionaire business tycoon.

Struggling to make ends meet and living a life she hates, when Gail Samuels is offered an opportunity to work at Peace Mountain Ranch she jumps at the opportunity. She’s overjoyed to escape her old life and start afresh with her daughter, but upon meeting the obnoxious ranch owner, she begins to reconsider her decision.

Billionaire businessman Xavier Richards enjoys a successful career, but his cutting-edge business sense failed to translate over to relationships. Heartbroken after his fiancée cheated on him, he returns to Peace Mountain Ranch to heal – but he didn’t expect to meet the feisty Gail, who challenges everything he thought he knew about life… and love.

As a series of crazy events bring together two people from completely different worlds, Gail might just find the new life she’s been looking for…

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Billionaire Rescued: A Sweet Billionaire Romance (Love’s Redemption Series Book 2)

When a maid falls in love with her billionaire employer, only the bottle stands between them.

Having just lost his old maid, billionaire Marcus Parker is intrigued by his new one – the new maid is as far from his old one as he could have possibly imagined. Molly Butler sings when she works, smiles at him when she sees him and is always trying to make conversation. Even though he detests it at first, soon she begins to grow on him.

Coming from an alcoholic mother and a close friend who betrayed him for a quick buck, Marcus learned to only depend on himself – with his own company and a bottle of wine, he believes he’s better off without anybody else. But after meeting Molly, things began to change.

Molly finds herself drawn to Marcus, but after her fiancé was killed in a drunk driving accident, she developed a hatred of alcohol in all forms. Though Marcus’s personality draws her in, his drinking problems overshadow their relationship. Can she really risk her heart a second time to a man who is a slave to the bottle?

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Happy Reading!

Free and bargain books February 09, 2022

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We have another good book day!

BookRunes has a free suggestion for us. An author new to me, maybe to you as well, with a genre we don’t see often.

Strand of Faith: A love story with a touch of mystery (Choices and Consequences Book 1)

A girl. A monk. An unthinkable sacrifice.
When the choice is between love and life, how can anyone decide?

A brilliant story full of intrigue and mystery…keeping me hooked throughout – Black Book Blogs

A plot full of tension and (impossible) choices made for one great read – The Magic of Wor(l)ds
In a post-apocalyptic future, a girl and a monk, both with extraordinary mental powers, have compelling reasons not to fall in love. But their choices will have consequences for the rest of the world.

After the troubles of his youth, Brother Prospero has found comfort and fulfilment in the monastery. Then he discovers something that forces him to reconsider his whole vocation. How can it possibly be right to leave a life of worship and service for human desire? And if he does leave, will the pressures from his past destroy him?

Orphaned and mistreated, Leonie has found sanctuary and safety at the Abbey. When she comes into contact with Prospero everything spirals out of her control. Everyone she’s ever loved has died. She can’t do that to him. But how can she walk away from the first place she’s truly belonged?

Abbot Gabriel is faced with an impossible choice. He can do nothing and watch the world descend into war. Or he can manipulate events and ensure peace – at the cost of two lives that he is responsible for. Is he strong enough to sacrifice those he loves?

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1531 Entertainment has several bargain suggestions for us. One I’ve read and one is new to me, even the author.

Full Disclosure: by Dee Henderson

Ann Silver is a cop’s cop. As the Midwest Homicide Investigator, she is called in to help local law enforcement on the worst of cases, looking for answers to murder. Hers is one of the region’s most trusted investigative positions.

Paul Falcon is the FBI’s top murder cop in the Midwest. If the victim carried a federal badge or had a security clearance, odds are good Paul and his team see the case file or work the murder.

Their lives intersect when Ann arrives to pass a case off her desk and onto his. A car wreck and a suspicious death offer a lead on a hired shooter he is tracking. Paul isn’t expecting to meet someone, the kind that goes on the personal side of the ledger, but Ann Silver has his attention.

The better he gets to know her, the more Paul realizes her job barely scratches the surface of who she is. She knows spies and soldiers and U.S. Marshals, and has written books about them. She is friends with the former Vice President. People with good reason to be cautious about who they let into their lives deeply trust her. Paul wonders just what secrets Ann is keeping, until she shows him the John Doe Killer case file, and he starts to realize just who this lady he is falling in love with really is…

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To Wager Her Heart (A Belle Meade Plantation Novel Book 3)

Set against the real history of Nashville’s Belle Meade Plantation and the original Fisk University Jubilee Singers ensemble, To Wager Her Heart is a powerful love story about seeking justice and restoring honor at a time in American history when both were tenuous and hard-won. 

Sylas Rutledge, new owner of the Northeast Line Railroad, invests everything he has into this new venture, partly for the sake of the challenge. But mostly to clear his father’s name. One man holds the key to Sy’s success–General William Giles Harding of Nashville’s Belle Meade mansion. But Harding is champagne and thoroughbreds, and Sy Rutledge is beer and bullocks.

Sy needs someone to help him maneuver through Nashville’s society, and when he meets Alexandra Jamison, he quickly decides he’s found his tutor. But he soon discovers that the very train accident his father is blamed for causing is what killed Alexandra’s fiancé and shattered her world.

Spurning an arranged marriage by her father, Alexandra instead pursues her passion for teaching at Fisk University, the first freedmen’s university in the United States. But family–and Nashville society–do not approve, and she soon finds herself cast out from both.

Through connections with the Harding family, Alexandra and Sy become unlikely allies. And despite first impressions, Alexandra gradually finds herself coming to respect and even care for this man. But how can she, when her heart is still spoken for?

Sy is willing to risk everything to win over the woman he loves. What he doesn’t count on is having to wager her heart to do it. 

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Some of these descriptions contain a bit too much information. Spoilers. By the time I get to each book, though, I’ve usually forgotten what the story is even about. Not a bad thing for me, except that sometimes just the title is not enough to attract my interest. That is another issue though.

I’m looking forward to today’s two new to-me books.

Are you tempted by any of these books?

Happy Reading

Bargain books January 28, 2022

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BookBub has an interesting suggestion from an author I’ve not met I’ve read books in a similar genre but not this one. I’m planning to check it out for sure.

Within and Without Time (Within & Without Time Book 1)

Be prepared to laugh and cry, to be inspired, and find your heart rejoicing!

Experience the Origin of a Prophet …When a sixteen-year-old boy is suddenly caught up in a series of miraculous encounters, it heralds an adventure that will transform his life, rock his town, and trigger events that will ultimately change the world!

Befriended by a powerful angelic warrior, Jimmy finds himself in the center of God’s plan for Earth’s final Great Revival. The beginning of God’s amazing harvest at the End of the Age. Like an intense roller coaster, the journey he experiences is exciting and unpredictable. Heartwarming, as well as heart-rending. God prepares him for a mission more extraordinary than anything he could have imagined, placing him in the rare company of ancient prophets and apostles alike.

WITHIN & WITHOUT TIME melds powerful Biblical truths with an imaginative and engaging story that envelopes the reader in an intense range of human emotions. Be prepared to laugh and cry, to be inspired, and find your heart rejoicing as Jimmy experiences the profound truths of God’s immense power and immeasurable love.

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1531 Entertainment has a suggestion, this is one I’ve read and enjoyed.

When Night Comes (Jack Turner Suspense Series Book 1) 

Jack Turner comes back to Culpepper to give a series of lectures for his old history professor. Within days, he starts having bizarre experiences at night. Like he’s traveling back in time, experiencing the epic events in his lectures firsthand. He has no control over these experiences and can’t make them stop.

Joe Boyd thought he’d left big city crime back in Pittsburgh when he took a detective job in Culpepper, Georgia, a sleepy southern college town. His peaceful life ends when two students turn up dead in two weeks. The coroner is saying natural causes, but something doesn’t add up.

Rachel Cook, a teaching assistant at Culpepper, can’t believe Jack is back in her life again. She’s had a crush on him since she was fourteen, but Jack never knew. He instantly seems attracted to her, but she can tell…something is deeply troubling him.

Watching all this from a distance is Nigel Avery. He’s certain this experiment’s about to unravel. It’ll be his job to tie up all the loose ends when it does.

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I’m so excited. I just discovered Christy Barritt has another new book on pre-order. How timely is that! I just finished reading and enjoying book 6 in this series.

Refuge of Redemption: The Colsons (Fog Lake Suspense Book 7)

For years, residents of Fog Lake thought of Bear Colson as the son of an infamous serial killer. But Bear stood his ground, determined not to be driven away. Now, new evidence has emerged that could clear his father’s name, and Bear sets out to use his skills as a computer forensics expert to find the killer’s real identity.

Piper Stephens, once an acclaimed forensic photographer, fell from grace after trusting the wrong person. Not only was her career burned, but so was her heart. When she discovers a possible clue about the GSK in a photo, she hopes this is her chance at redemption.

When she follows the trail of clues to Fog Lake, she discovers someone is one step ahead of her—and now people she loves are in danger. The only person who can help her is Bear Colson. But the last time she trusted someone, she lost everything.

As fear batters Fog Lake residents once again, Bear and Piper must work together to track down the truth. But the killer is determined to stay in the shadows—and he’ll kill anyone who stands in his way.

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I’ve made good progress this week (literary licence) keeping ahead of my burgeoning reading list. I’ll share some of them in the next post.

In the meantime…

Happy Reading!

Bargain books September 08, 2021 Part Two

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1531 Entertainment had two more interesting suggestions, both of them with authors not in my library. I’ve read two chapters of the historical novel and I have to have it. I’ve looked at the author of the mystery and I need it as well.

The Beautiful Pretender (A Medieval Fairy Tale Book 2)

The Margrave of Thornbeck has to find a bride, fast. He invites ten noble born ladies who meet the king’s approval to be his guests at Thornbeck Castle for two weeks, a time to test these ladies and reveal their true character.

Avelina has only two instructions: keep her true identity a secret and make sure the margrave doesn’t select her as his bride. Since the latter seems unlikely, she concentrates on not getting caught. No one must know she is merely a maidservant, sent by the Earl of Plimmwald to stand in for his daughter, Dorothea.

Despite Avelina’s best attempts at diverting attention from herself, the margrave has taken notice. And try as she might, she can’t deny her own growing feelings. But something else is afoot in the castle. Something sinister that could have far worse—far deadlier—consequences

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Tell Her No Lies 

Even the most admired families have secrets to hide . . .

Nina Fischer carries a camera wherever she goes—so she can view life through a filter. Safely. After her mother abandoned her to the streets, Nina has kept people at a distance, including her uncle, who adopted Nina and her sister. Wealthy and proud, he is a good man, a fair judge, and someone many in San Antonio admire. 

But when he is murdered, and the detective assigned to the case accuses Nina of the crime, she knows she must act. She’s determined to use her journalism background to find the real killer. The two men in her life want to help, but can she trust them?

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It has been a good book day.

Happy Reading

As promised: This Present Darkness

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

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

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

This Present Darkness

Amazon quote:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy book Reading.

Bargain books August 22, 2021

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BookBub has a bargain suggestion for us. I’ve not read this author and haven’t checked out this book beyond a few pages to determine if he can write. It seems he can and from the little I’ve seen so far, I want to read this book.

Dead Man’s Journey (The Unseen Series Book 1)

Amazon quote:

A dangerous invention.
An invisible realm.
One man’s deadly search for answers begins.

When Aaron Fitzpatrick is called away from his army base in northern Australia, he is told that his father’s body has been found, missing one finger and far away from his usual jogging route.

Confused and sceptical, Aaron can’t help but suspect foul play when he learns his dad’s death isn’t the only local oddity. Several of Brisbane’s homeless have seemingly vanished from the earth, only to be returned after a wildly unsettling experience…

As Aaron investigates his father’s death, all signs point to a sinister device that is manipulating the boundaries between the earthly and spiritual realms.

When Aaron’s childhood sweetheart becomes an unwitting victim of the deadly scheme, he has just one chance to save the girl he loves from a madman with unimaginable power.

Could a reverend with the key to resurrection be the saviour of Aaron’s rescue mission? Or is he destined to lose all those he holds dear?

Dead Man’s Journey (The Unseen Series #1) is a thrilling and adventurous piece of Christian speculative fiction that asks the big questions, while delivering a stellar plot and a memorable cast of characters.

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Interesting.

I had been participating in a fellow bloggers weekly story prompt for quite some time but was on an extended break. With no clear plans to rejoin. This week I took the bait and wrote a piece, on Friday. It’s not been posted yet but will be in a few hours. Judging by the opening paragraphs, it seems this book fits with today’s story prompt.

Interesting.