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Bargain books December 04, 2020

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Suggestions from the usual sources seem to have dried up so I’m browsing to see what I can find. One, so far, looks interesting and its author has not shown up in my reading list until now. That means I need to check it out.

I’m hoping this won’t be the only one today. Fingers crossed.

Snowflakes and Sapphires: Four Seasons Series Book 1 – Winter 

Amazon quote:

After a demanding career of living out of her suitcase, Sophia lands a dream job in New York City that will keep her in one place for six months. Being alone in a big city is nothing new for her but not during the holidays. When an irresistible jeweler appears in her life more than once, Christmas surprises pop up on every corner.

Drew loses his creativity and holiday spirit just when he needs it the most. Then a snowstorm blows Sophia into his jewelry store, and a surge of inspiration follows. He is used to handling precious gems but nothing as priceless as she is.

Even though they just met, their instant attraction turns into something more. But one event leads to betrayal, leaving Sophia once again alone and brokenhearted.

Can the magic of Christmas bring them back together, or will one of them be left in the cold?

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

Here’s another bargain book by the same author. This could be interesting too.

Lives Collide: Collide Series Book 1 

Amazon quote:

You can plan your life, but sometimes life has a mind of its own…

Following Lisa’s near-death experience as a teenager, she is haunted by the emerald-green eyes of the stranger who saved her life. Her only connection to him is the leather jacket he left behind. Years later, she’s still reeling from the aftereffects of her injuries, convinced that no man will love her once he uncovers her secret. She lives a life of solitude and hides behind her days of monotony. And then James storms into her life. 

After James helps a young girl in a car accident, he sets his life course—determined that nothing will stand in his way. Once he accomplishes his dreams, one unforeseen event changes his orderly existence into one of chaos. He spirals downward and can’t summon the strength to pull himself from the edge of despair. Until Lisa becomes a beautiful distraction.

Familiarity and a sense of peace draw them to one another. They soon discover they lived parallel lives that intertwined at the most crucial points. Can their revelations help them face their fears and move forward, or will history repeat itself?

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

Historical novel is next.

Storm Clouds Rolling In (#1 in the Bregdan Chronicles Historical Fiction Series)

Amazon quote:

Book Description: Carrie Cromwell comes of age as the dark clouds of the Civil War swallow the country. Born with a fiery spirit and a strong mind, she finds herself struggling between the common wisdom of the South and the devastating truth she has discovered.

The activities of the Underground Railroad and her close friendships with the Cromwell Plantation slaves create agonizing choices. But when her decisions put her at odds with her heritage, and challenge her dreams, will she be able to give up all that is precious to her? What price will she be willing to pay as America crumbles into war?

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

I’m just getting started with my current read and it’s too early to tell if I’m loving it, so far so good though. It’s still FREE too.

Love Will Find A Way: A Summerfield Village Sweet Romance 

Jenna Warren is an Idaho ranch girl who loves her Appaloosa horse, Blue, and the freedom she has to run her life the way she wants to. But she’s aware that she’s never really seen the world, let alone experienced real love.

Daniel Martin is a British schoolteacher, bound by duty to a desperate family situation, and struggling to find his own path as a musician.

When Jenna and Dan meet at a family wedding, they are instantly attracted to each other, but Dan has to leave for Britain the next day. As Jenna follows him to Summerfield, a family conflict ignites, tearing their new love apart.

In this sweet romance, set between the Idaho ranch, the English countryside and tropical Australia, can Jenna and Dan’s love find a way to make it through?

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

Happy Reading

Free and bargain books November 23, 2020

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LPC Books has a FREE suggestion. I have read this collection, a year ago.

The Cowboys: Uhlarik, Yezak, Hart, Huff

Amazon quote:

Healing Heart

Lonnie Holt’s external scars remind him of his failures, his internal scars torment him. Genny Collins seeks safety at the ranch once owned by Lonnie’s uncle. When Lonnie and his brother arrive, sparks fly and distrust abounds. While Lonnie and Genny fight the love growing between them, his past haunts him, and her past pays them a visit.

Becoming Brave

When Coy Whittaker stumbles upon a grisly scene littered with bodies, he wants nothing more than to get his boss’s cattle out of Indian Territory. But when a bloodstained Aimee Kaplan draws down on him, his plans—and his heart—screech to a halt.

Trail’s End

Wade Chadwick has no money until his boss’s cattle sell, so he takes a kitchen job at Abby’s Home Cooking. The beautiful and prickly owner adds spice to his workday. Abby Cox hires the down-and-out cowboy even though the word cowboy leaves a bad taste in her mouth. Just as she’s ready to trust Wade with her heart, money starts to disappear … and so does her brother.

Loving a Harvey Girl

Eva Knowles can’t imagine why the local preacher doesn’t like Harvey Girls—women who work serving tables instead of finding a husband and falling in love. But if Eva can get the handsome and wayward cowboy Cal Stephens to join her in church, maybe the reverend will accept the girls. Or maybe she’ll forfeit her job for a husband, hearth, and home!

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

I found a bargain on book 4 in a series I’ve been enjoying.

Seagrass Secrets (Saltwater Cowboys Book 4) 

Amazon quote:

He’s her best friend. She’s the woman of his dreams.

Firefighter Colby Morris needs answers. After discovering a dead body, he then learns his best friend’s address was in the man’s pocket. He’ll do anything to keep Emmy safe—yet he wants to keep his heart safe also. That’s why he’s never told Emmy he’s in love with her.

Emmy Sutherland is trying to make amends after she hits a man with her truck while driving in a torrential downpour. When the island’s clinic floods, she has no choice but to let the stranger stay at her inn. But recent events on Cape Corral have her feeling apprehensive. 

Events continue to escalate, leaving Colby and Emmy scrambling to find answers. But as more secrets are uncovered, more danger arises. Can Colby and Emmy discover the truth? Or will their feelings get in the way—endangering not only their lives but their lifelong friendship?

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

I’m currently reading and enjoying:

Rachel’s Blessing – A Contemporary Christian Romance Novel set in South Africa (Love in South Africa Book 1) 

Amazon quote:

A South African adventure leads to a life-changing love… 

Thirty-one year old Rachel Wright is thrilled to be getting married. Unfortunately, her fiancé does not share her enthusiasm. When he suddenly breaks off their engagement for a life of adventure, British-born Rachel heads to South Africa for an adventure of her own.

Volunteering at a rural orphanage allows Rachel the breathing space she needs to refocus and have time alone with God. This rugged landscape brings fresh perspective and healing. The last thing on Rachel’s mind now, is romance.

And then she meets Eric, a local game ranger and the area’s most eligible bachelor.

Adventurous, intriguing and with a heart for God, Eric embodies the qualities Rachel admires most in a man. Their friendship takes a turn toward love, but too soon, Rachel must return home. Emotions run high at her departure, and Rachel and Eric break a promise they’d each made, leaving them ashamed and broken.

Can God take their shame and weave a tapestry of redemption? And will Eric find a way to allow Rachel back into his heart, despite the secret she kept from him?

Book One in the ‘Love in South Africa’ series, Rachel’s Blessing highlights real-life decisions in love, and God’s never-ending faithfulness towards His people. If you enjoy sweet, clean and wholesome romance with a happily-ever-after ending, an interesting mix of well-rounded characters, set against the backdrop of the breathtaking South African savanna, then Rachel’s Blessing is for you.

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

Happy reading…

… on this gorgeous bright and sunny day.

I’m not sure the sunshine is meant to last today but I will love it while it’s here, on this cool crisp day. Minus 11c is not all that bad.

I won’t be going out in it anyway. I need to get busy now that the morning sun is off my work computer.

(OK, honestly, I’d be curled up with a book if it wasn’t work keeping me in! I like watching the crisp weather from inside where it’s warm)

I hope you are enjoying a good day too.

Free and bargain books November 20, 2020

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Another good day for books. I was expecting a slow book day so this was a nice surprise.

BookRunes has a FREE suggestion. This book is all new to me, one more nice surprise.

Rachel’s Blessing – (Love in South Africa Book 1)

Amazon quote:

A South African adventure leads to a life-changing love… 

Thirty-one year old Rachel Wright is thrilled to be getting married. Unfortunately, her fiancé does not share her enthusiasm. When he suddenly breaks off their engagement for a life of adventure, British-born Rachel heads to South Africa for an adventure of her own.

Volunteering at a rural orphanage allows Rachel the breathing space she needs to refocus and have time alone with God. This rugged landscape brings fresh perspective and healing. The last thing on Rachel’s mind now, is romance.

And then she meets Eric, a local game ranger and the area’s most eligible bachelor.

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

A BookBub bargain suggestion by a favorite prolific author.

Lifeline (The Security Experts)

Amazon quote:

Only a former navy SEAL can help a woman who is convinced her deceased former fiancé is alive—and out for revenge in this exciting suspense, part of The Security Experts series from USA TODAY bestselling author Christy Barritt.

“I did it for you.” The chilling words in the text message have Julianne Grace fearing for her life. She’s sure that her abusive ex-fiancé has killed two people—and that she’s the next target. But will anyone believe that her presumed dead ex is really alive? The only man who can help Julianne is cool, aloof security specialist Bradley Stone. Not only does she need his protection, but he’s also the link to finding answers about her ex-fiancé’s death. And the closer Bradley and Julianne get to the truth—and to each other, the angrier the madman after Julianne becomes. One wrong move and they could both fall prey to the killer’s deadly scheme.

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

1531 Entertainment has a bargain collection suggestion for us. There are five books and I think I have read most of them along the way somewhere, in other collections I think. The good news for me, there is one completely new one.

Small-Town Christmas: Sweet, Faith-Filled, Clean Romances

Amazon quote:

SEASON OF LOVE. Opposites-attract romance! Feuding co-chefs have to put their differences aside before Christmas to give their siblings a great reception. A ruined wedding and failed business are not on the menu. But romance just might be…
SEASON OF AFFECTION. A woman in jeopardy, bodyguard, and second chance romance! A celebrity in peril and the small-town boy who crushed her heart years ago. Can a Christmas reunion bring them a second chance at love?

etc. etc. etc.

I’d show more but it’s rather long. Hopefully this is enough to catch your interest.

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

Currently I’m reading and enjoying a book with an author new to me.

COMPLEX: A Sweet Small town Standalone Romance (Eron Outsiders Book 1)

After ten years away, Sofia Wise returns home to mourn the loss of her grandmother, and she’s desperate to reconnect with her family.
When a dark, devastatingly handsome stranger shows up on her family’s doorstep, Sofia takes one look and is tempted to make her visit permanent. The problem is, the town’s detective is suspicious of her entire family, and it might take some convincing to prove that she’s more interested in the man himself than in the complex case at hand.

Trevor Freeman is a hardworking detective for the town of Eron. When his mom disappears, he blames the Wise family and will stop at nothing until they are brought to justice —that is, until Sofia Wise blows into town. The mysterious, beautiful member of the notorious Wise clan complicates everything, distracting him from his investigation and threatening to steal his heart.

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

Can you believe it. We had about 3 inches of snow last night and they’ve plowed our streets already. That’s what’s great about a small city, they can do these nice things for us. My friends and relatives in the big city are jealous.

I’m sure many of you are glad you live in warmer climates. Some of my kids are but I’m happy to see winter. I missed the snowy season with it’s crisp cold air when I lived in a moderate climate with mostly rain.

Besides, a cold winter day is the perfect time to curl up with a good book.

I’m gonna go do just that. It’s time to finish my current.

Happy Reading

Stay safe and warm.

Free and bargain books November 18, 2020

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There are a few interesting book suggestions again today.

BookRunes has a FREE selection. I can recall reading this a year ago.

Heart of Gold 

Amazon quote:

After the death of her troubled mother, Sienna Hart returns to her small, coastal hometown of Ruby Bay to help her estranged sisters with the estate. She is hopeful that they can mend their broken relationship, and it’s a chance to get away from her selfish, unreliable ex-boyfriend who is pushing to get back together.

Carter Palamo is a kind, handsome, yet bitter man. Burned by his last girlfriend’s cruel rejection of his proposal, he is hesitant to get involved with another woman. He runs his family’s hardware store in Ruby Bay and helps his grandmother with her Christmas tree farm, but makes no effort to bring his dreams of marriage and children to fruition.

When a new artist does a terrible job of decorating the hardware store’s windows for the holidays, Carter hires Sienna to do the work. Neither is open to love, but their fiery attraction to one another keeps bringing them back together. Yet their defenses are just as strong – both coming from tragic pasts and relationships with partners who refused to commit. Will they be able to take a risk on each other and stop the past from defining their future?

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

1531 Entertainment has a bargain Historical Western suggestion. I see there are a number of others available in this series as well.

Willow Falls (Matt Bannister Western Book 1)

Amazon quote:

Welcome to Willow Falls. The town young Matthew Bannister ran away from fifteen years before. Now famed U.S. Deputy Marshal Matt Bannister is coming home to reconcile with his family. He prayed he wouldn’t see his ex-best friend Tom Smith nor the only girl he ever loved, Tom’s wife, Elizabeth. However, old feuds unsettled never die and spark a powder keg of action when the desperate Moskin Gang kidnap Elizabeth and leave a murderous trail behind them. In anguish, Tom, the Willow Falls sheriff, turns to his despised old-friend to help get the woman they both love back alive, if they can.

Sometimes God’s greatest blessing is unanswered prayer.

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

This current enjoyable read is definitely my favorite this week. I love the strong willed, determined, main characters. Neither one wants to be taking orders but he has to take the lead or it could mean death. She is totally out of her element but no way will she let that stand in her way.

Into the Darkness (Daring Escapes Book 1) 

Amazon quote:

Adventure. Betrayal. Murder.
Dead? Kate Collier refuses to believe her brother and last remaining family member died in the Brazilian rainforest. Determined to find the missing biochemist, she launches an expedition to find him.

A.C. Slader’s past is as dark and turbulent as the Amazon. Consumed with his own problems, when Kate tries hiring him to find her no-doubt deceased brother, he turns her down cold. The last thing he needs is to fight his way through an impassable jungle for a woman who wouldn’t know a stick from a snake. Only when he narrowly rescues her from an attack before she’s even left the relative safety of the town does he realize that without his help, she’ll get herself killed.

Together, they begin a perilous journey that will test the limits of their faith and each other…

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

Maybe if it’s a slow book day tomorrow it will be a good time to clear out my Read & Enjoyed list once again.

In the meantime…

Happy Reading, once again.

Free books November 17, 2020

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Free books from LPC Books. As promised yesterday here they are.

This first book is one of my Read & Enjoyed and I still remember the experience. In fact I remember all three of the books suggested for us.

A Season to Dance 

Amazon quote:

Everyone has a dream. A passion. You work hard, you get there. Right? But what if you don’t get there? Despair? It happens… Then what? Give up? Try harder? What if all this time, you’ve been going after the wrong dreams? What if the best part of life hasn’t even started?

Ana Brassfield tries everything to be happy. An important career. A dream of dancing. A famous boyfriend. A move overseas. But all she experiences is a series of almost successes with a side of heartbreak. Then when she hits rock bottom, a stranger opens an unexpected door. Could she change her whole life? Should she? Or would this be another mistake in a life defined by rushed decisions and wrong turns?

A Season to Dance is a journey. From hard to better. From striving to being

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

Another of my favorite reads.

The Children of Main Street

The children come—scores of them. Broken. Suffering. Learning to survive. These are not the clients Katie Collier expected to help when she went to work at the mental-health clinic.

But Katie and her husband can’t have children of their own, so her natural compassion flows. Still, Katie wonders why God gives babies to some women who seem unwilling to care, feed, love, shelter—even hold, and leaves other women barren.

Then one day it happens. A little girl named Bailey walks into Main Street Clinic … walks straight into Katie’s broken heart.

Forced to choose between her husband and her career, Katie fights to hold onto both in order to save Bailey. When her husband gives her the ultimate ultimatum, Katie finds the children of Main Street are not the only ones feeling cast out and lost.

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

This was a favorite too.

The Forgotten Life of Evelyn Lewis

Facing bankruptcy, a high-end interior designer returns to her childhood Tennessee to salvage her company and finds herself tangled in relationships, property disputes, and a past that refuses to be silenced.

In a desperate attempt to save her company from bankruptcy, designer Evelyn Lewis decides to sell the only memento from her past worth anything—the family farmland. Determined to get in and get out of the abandoned property, she finds the valuable land tangled in a trust, and wonders who she can really depend on. Certainly not the property manager and affable Southern gentleman, Taylor Simpson.

Caught up in the mechanics of a farm, a legal document she can’t break, and pressure from her company for money, Evelyn turns to her own wiles and willpower…but can she resist the South’s wooing?

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

I’m currently reading and enjoying A Long Way to Run 

Amazon quote:

Sometimes the path to love is a long way to run…

Olympic-caliber running hopeful Riley Dalton lost his left leg from the knee down in the noblest of ways: saving a trapped woman whose car was engulfed by fire. Years removed from that life-changing moment, he returns home to Dunberry, Michigan, searching for the pathway to a new life.

Riley’s high school sweetheart, Jennifer Bailey, understands the process of reinvention. Heartbreak and corporate theft sent her scampering from New York straight back to her small-town roots. In Dunberry, she’s established a clothing boutique that allows creativity to flow while she regroups.

Reunited, Riley and Jennifer spearhead the creation of a community sponsored running team while they chase demons both physical and emotional. As Riley trains for the Mobility Impaired division of the Boston Marathon, the past rises to haunt him, and a professional opportunity is presented to Jennifer that plays to her goals but endangers everything she’s reestablished with the only man she’s ever loved.

Will love be enough to cover the distance between them?

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

I’m loving today’s sunny skies.

Wishing sunny skies to all of you too.

Happy Reading

Free and bargain books November 16, 2020

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Monday is turning out to be a good day for book suggestions. With such abundance this morning we’ll look at BookBub and 1531 Entertainment today, saving LPC Free Books for tomorrow. They are scheduled to be free until the 20th so we have the time.

BookBubs FREE suggestion

Signs of Life: A Haunting and Spellbinding Contemporary Christian Thriller (Signs of Life Series Book 1)  FREE

Amazon quote:

Rogan Sneed . . . Portland’s Worst Nightmare

High school teacher Tyson Cooper is just dismissing his class when a student flashes his phone. “Another shooting, Mr. C.”

And this one is too close to home. Tyson races to Pioneer Square . . . but he’s too late. The light of his life has been snuffed out–and so has his faith.

Veteran Portland PD Investigator Wayne Deetz, two years shy of retirement, is charged with leading the interrogations. When he meets 19-year-old shooter Rogan Sneed face-to-face, his life is changed eternally.

Will Tyson settle for anything less than the death penalty in the case against Rogan Sneed? He’s bent on justice and will do anything to make Rogan pay for the pain he inflicted on himself and the city of Portland that rainy, haunting May day.

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

1531 Entertainment bargain book suggestions: The author of this first one has shown up on my TBR list seven times so far in 2020. This makes eight. I’ve read book #1 in this series. Aiming for Love

Woman of Sunlight (Brides of Hope Mountain Book #2) 

Amazon quote:

After years of isolation on top of Hope Mountain, Ilsa Nordegren may finally be ready to leave. Raised to fear the world, Ilsa and her sisters never planned on coming down, but when the Warden family arrived in need, they had to help. And it may cost them everything.

Having made his fortune, Mitch Warden returned home and found the family homestead abandoned. In a land grab, a ruthless cattle baron had forced his family to escape up the mountain, and when he follows, the last thing he expects is to fall smitten to a black-haired woman who dresses like Robin Hood.

Warden is intent on helping his family reclaim their land, but doesn’t realize the risks his past has brought. Dangerous men have tracked him, and rather than risk innocent lives, he’s determined to end the danger. But that means a journey to the city–and when Ilsa insists on joining him, the mismatched pair suddenly find themselves on a venture they’ll never forget.

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

The House at the End of the Moor 

Amazon quote:

What Can a London Opera Star and an Escaped Dartmoor Prisoner Have in Common?
 
Opera star Maggie Lee escapes her opulent lifestyle when threatened by a powerful politician who aims to ruin her life. She runs off to the wilds of the moors to live in anonymity. All that changes the day she discovers a half-dead man near her house. Escaped convict Oliver Ward is on the run to prove his innocence, until he gets hurt and is taken in by Maggie. He discovers some jewels in her possession—the very same jewels that got him convicted. Together they hatch a plan to return the jewels, clearing Oliver’s name and hopefully maintaining Maggie’s anonymity.

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

I’m currently reading & enjoying

Faith in Abertillery: Historical Romance (Women of Courage Book 2) 

South Wales, 1905. Faith only believes in the certainty of pain and suffering. Born with a club foot and harboring a dark secret, the barmaid can’t escape her sinful past. But after the country’s religious revival puts her out of a job, hope sparks when a handsome aristocrat gallantly offers her a second chance.

Lord Geoffrey Driscoll fears his estate will run out of money before he can find a suitable bride. However, the devout nobleman can’t keep his mind off the stunning redhead despite her lowly status. As the attraction between them grows, Lord Driscoll is torn between his need for a wife of means and his heart.

As Faith falls for Lord Driscoll’s kindness, she wishes that she could erase the sinful past that stands in the way of their union…

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

This is a paradoxical morning moment. The sun is shining, clouds are gently rolling through, and it’s snowing lightly. Makes life fun.

Currently it’s -10c and it looks like it will be a quiet day weather-wise. Maybe there will be more cheerful sunshine moments yet today. Here’s hoping.

Enjoy the books.

Until tomorrow…

Happy Reading.

Free and bargain books November 12, 2020

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BookBub has a FREE suggestion for us this time.

Into the Darkness (Daring Escapes Book 1)

Amazon quote:

Adventure. Betrayal. Murder.
Dead? Kate Collier refuses to believe her brother and last remaining family member died in the Brazilian rainforest. Determined to find the missing biochemist, she launches an expedition to find him.

A.C. Slader’s past is as dark and turbulent as the Amazon. Consumed with his own problems, when Kate tries hiring him to find her no-doubt deceased brother, he turns her down cold. The last thing he needs is to fight his way through an impassable jungle for a woman who wouldn’t know a stick from a snake. Only when he narrowly rescues her from an attack before she’s even left the relative safety of the town does he realize that without his help, she’ll get herself killed.

Together, they begin a perilous journey that will test the limits of their faith and each other…

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

There were a couple of enjoyable new authors in the collections I mentioned yesterday. I was hoping to find more from them to see what a full novel would be like. There was one regular length book at a bargain price (my favorite way to try out unfamiliar authors) which is nice and I’m looking forward to it.

A Long Way to Run

Amazon quote:

Sometimes the path to love is a long way to run…

Olympic-caliber running hopeful Riley Dalton lost his left leg from the knee down in the noblest of ways: saving a trapped woman whose car was engulfed by fire. Years removed from that life-changing moment, he returns home to Dunberry, Michigan, searching for the pathway to a new life.

Riley’s high school sweetheart, Jennifer Bailey, understands the process of reinvention. Heartbreak and corporate theft sent her scampering from New York straight back to her small-town roots. In Dunberry, she’s established a clothing boutique that allows creativity to flow while she regroups.

Reunited, Riley and Jennifer spearhead the creation of a community sponsored running team while they chase demons both physical and emotional. As Riley trains for the Mobility Impaired division of the Boston Marathon, the past rises to haunt him, and a professional opportunity is presented to Jennifer that plays to her goals but endangers everything she’s reestablished with the only man she’s ever loved.

Will love be enough to cover the distance between them?

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

I’m currently reading and enjoying

A Scarlet Cord 

In the four years since her husband’s death, Melanie LaSalle’s life has been consumed with managing the family design firm and caring for her five-year-old daughter, Jerica. The possibility of a new relationship is the last thing on her mind. But when Melanie meets Joel Ellington, a new staff member at her church, she is instantly attracted to his warm spirit.
As their friendship deepens, however, Melanie is troubled by something she can’t quite understand or explain. Joel past seems to be off-limits, even to Melanie. Because of her growing feelings for him, Melanie pushes her doubts away. But when Joel disappears, along with the contents of a church bank account, she can no longer ignore her suspicions.
Now, torn between her feelings for Joel and the evidence mounting against him, Melanie faces a heart-wrenching decision: to forget the man who gave her reason to love again or to trust Joel enough to give him her heart.
Exploring themes of the importance of truth, loyalty, and trust, A Scarlet Cord illustrates that who we truly are depends little on outward appearances and solely on our relationship with God, and on the fact that through faith in Him, we can find places of comfort, healing, and selfless love.

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

A Scarlet Cord is a big book, 360 pages, and Deborah Raney is one of the few authors I know who can write a long story and have enough to say to actually pull it off. No filler in her stories, to bulk them up.

It will be interesting to see if I make it through though.

Between work challenges and the disturbing things going on in the world right now it’s difficult to settle down enough to concentrate for any length of time.

Evil has a way of bullying victims into submission and it feels like that’s what’s going on in our world right now. I’m praying evil won’t win. I’m hoping many others are joining in praying this way too.

I don’t know where the threat is coming from or who is behind it but our lives and way of life could depend on the final outcome. We need to be aware and prayerful. I know it’s not just me thinking this way, I’m hearing other sane voices expressing the same concern.

Watch and pray.

If you’ve never prayed and don’t know how. The Creator of the Universe hears every prayer, without exception. Just say what’s in your heart.

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

Until tomorrow

Happy Reading

Free and bargain books November 09, 2020

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Fickle, fickle, weather. A few weeks of unseasonable cold with heavy frost and snow. Until yesterday. It was +21c yesterday. Today… it’s -4c. How are we supposed to successfully adjust to such drastic flip-flop changes. I’m freezing, must add another layer, again.

At least yesterday was wonderful and much appreciated. It was a lovely day to tackle the last of the much needed yard clean up. It was warm and pretty and I hated to have my energy end before the day did.

I wonder if the warm memory will be enough to carry me through to next spring… probably not.

On the bright side … We have some enticing suggestions today.

This first one, suggested by BookBub, is written by a popular author on my TBR list.

The collections next in line, suggested by 1531 Entertainment, are written by authors new to me. The stories look interesting and I’m always keen to experience someone new.

A Scarlet Cord  is FREE. Deborah Raney writes thought provoking stories always worth reading.

Amazon quote:

In the four years since her husband’s death, Melanie LaSalle’s life has been consumed with managing the family design firm and caring for her five-year-old daughter, Jerica. The possibility of a new relationship is the last thing on her mind. But when Melanie meets Joel Ellington, a new staff member at her church, she is instantly attracted to his warm spirit.
As their friendship deepens, however, Melanie is troubled by something she can’t quite understand or explain. Joel past seems to be off-limits, even to Melanie. Because of her growing feelings for him, Melanie pushes her doubts away.

When Joel disappears, along with the contents of a church bank account, she can no longer ignore her suspicions.
Now, torn between her feelings for Joel and the evidence mounting against him, Melanie faces a heart-wrenching decision: to forget the man who gave her reason to love again or to trust Joel enough to give him her heart.

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

Now, something on the lighter side … by comparison. Bargains too.

Love at Christmas Inn: Collection I

Amazon quote:

Nestled into five beautiful acres just outside Hope Creek, Tennessee, Christmas Inn is an unforgettable place known for its joyful atmosphere and festive setting. Holiday decorations adorn each room. Trees glittering with ribbons and ornaments, gorgeous wreaths, velvet stockings and pine-scented candles brighten visitors’ stay at this vacation spot dedicated to Christmas all year, every year. The resort offers all the usual enticements plus one unique amenity…love. The little white chapel behind the inn, built by the Christmas family in the 1890s, boasts bell tower bells that toll when couples fall in love.

But Christmas Inn has fallen on hard times. The chapel bells haven’t rung for many years, and this Christmas may be the final celebration at the resort…unless love finds its way home.

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

Love at Christmas Inn, Collection 2

Amazon quote:

Nestled into five beautiful acres just outside Hope Creek, Tennessee, Christmas Inn is an unforgettable place known for its joyful atmosphere and festive setting. Holiday decorations adorn each room. Trees glittering with ribbons and ornaments, gorgeous wreaths, velvet stockings and pine-scented candles brighten visitors’ stay at this vacation spot dedicated to Christmas all year, every year. The resort offers all the usual enticements plus one unique amenity…love. The little white chapel behind the inn, built by the Christmas family in the 1890s, boasts bell tower bells that toll when couples fall in love.

Every year people come to the inn looking for their Christmas spirit. Sometimes they find love too. Will the bells ring again this year?

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This has been a good day for new books. All of them new to me, for a nice change.

Stay warm (or cool – depending where you are) and safe. We are experiencing a second wave of Covid that has gotten out of hand. I’m staying home, venturing out every other week or so. Hopefully things are better where you are but if not stay safe.

Enjoy reading,

I will be.

Along with a warm bowl of creamy potato vegetable soup.

Free and bargain books November 05, 2020

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

I can’t believe how quickly the days are marching by. Nov 5th already, yikes. Christmas will be here next week at this rate.

I think a contributing factor to this sense of speed is books. When you’re lost in a book three hours feels like fifteen minutes. You finally look up, check the clock and realize the afternoon is half over, okay, mostly over, and you missed it all.

I wouldn’t change a thing. Anyway, let’s get on with the search here.

BookBub has a FREE suggestion for us. A collection of five books. Looks interesting.

Books 1-5 Collection : After, New Beginnings & The Excellence Club Christian Inspirational Series (Abundant Hope Book 1)

Amazon quote:

Book 1 – AFTER – Candace had a stunning voice but he plotted her downfall and the loss of her faith. When she falls before thousands, will shame win, or will her newfound faith in Jesus build her a new platform?

Book 2 – JABEZ – Born into a family where support was lacking, will his dreams fall before it began? Or will an encounter with a pastor change the direction of his life and destiny?

Book 3 – AFTER 2 – Blinded by tears, broken by rejection, and caught at her wits end, Blossom mistakenly plunges her car into the Potomac River and isn’t sure whether she will survive. Will she drown or can she be rescued before it’s too late? Will she trust God to carve her a fresh start while sinking to the bottom of the Potomac?

Book 4 – AFTER 3 – Harboring a secret that torpedoed every chance at finding love, can she trust God to lead someone who accepted her…including her challenge? His grief for a tragedy soured his choice to live. After his chance encounter with her, a future filled with sorrow seemed like a choice. Would he accept hope?

Book 5 – HER UNDYING FAITH – Sharon Parsons is no stranger to being different. However, she did not expect to fall in love with a man who not only didn’t share her faith, but any faith at all. When her heart gets deeply in love, and their faith differences more stark and impossible to ignore, what ends – his faithlessness or their marriage?

Dive into this beloved series by USA Today bestselling author Joy Ohagwu, hailed as a top 17 Christian Fiction Author, stories applauded by thousands, and hope-filled adventure and don’t stop until you flip the last page. 

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On the lighter side, maybe, there is a bargain Christmas Romance collection in the lineup. I think I’ve read some of these authors in other collections but I’m not sure. This will be an adventure.

Something Borrowed: Christmas Weddings Collection 

Amazon quote:

Old friends, new loves, and a borrowed tiara.

Always Been Yours by Jaycee Weaver — Hanady’s planning her dream wedding, but her injured best friend Keenan isn’t the groom. If she can’t see she’s marrying the wrong guy soon, his leg won’t be the only thing broken.

All the Moore by Toni Shiloh — Leilah Anderson has been living behind the screen to hide her disability, then she meets Reggie Moore face-to-face. Can their relationship survive the truth and distance between them?

A Holly, Bolly Christmas by Mikal Dawn — A dream wedding venue at Christmas? Sign Chahna Kapoor up. Even if her fiancé doesn’t know it…

Somehow, This Christmas by Teresa Tysinger — When not-so-merry mishaps threaten wedding planner Cate Forsyth’s holiday wedding and reputation, will her own happily ever after with sweetheart Noah Bennett melt away?

A Promise So Sweet by Andrea Boyd — Lydia Osborn hasn’t heard from her ex in ten years, so imagine her surprise when he shows up proposing marriage. Tis the season for love?

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I’m currently reading, enjoying, and almost finished …

Cape Corral Keeper (Saltwater Cowboys Book 3)

They agreed to marry. But they never agreed to fall in love.

When Cape Corral Fire Chief Dillon McGrath saves a woman wearing a wedding dress from drowning, he knows he’ll have a great story to tell the guys at the station later. He never expected to get personally involved in the woman’s plight to stay alive.

Gracie Loveland had no choice but to run only moments before saying “I do” to her manipulative fiancé. Staying would have ultimately meant her death at the hands of the cruel man. Desperation, along with a dormant feistiness, surfaces as she fights to survive.

Only one plan might keep Gracie safe and help Dillon preserve the island’s wild horses. The idea seems crazy, but Dillon and Gracie can think of no other options. However, a foe from Gracie’s past is closing in, determined to get what he wants regardless of whose life he destroys in the process.

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This has been a good day for books. I hope you are finding something you like in this new selection.

I think it’s time to go read a little before lights out, find out how it all ends.

Happy Reading to you too.

Free and bargain books November 04, 2020

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

Today is one of those days where I haven’t posted in a while and the well is dry. What to do, what to do.

While I was trying to come up with a little of this and a little of that to talk about I opened Amazon and happened upon a FREE book I’d seen mentioned and then forgotten about a few days ago.

So, I guess we will start with a book. A novel idea hey?

I’ve read other books from this author and this one is not a bad place to start.

Southern Gentleman (Finding Love in the Low Country Book 2)

Amazon quote:

What’s best for the baby? Norah Brown must answer this question when Thornton Winter pushes his way into her life. Baby Camille’s parents, Thornton’s brother and Norah’s sister, were killed in a terrible accident. Now both feel responsible for the baby. But by the time Thornton comes along, Norah has already formed a strong bond with Camille. Will Thornton try to take the baby from her?

To keep her greatest fear from being realized, Norah reluctantly agrees to move with the baby to Thornton’s family home in South Carolina, where she soon finds herself in a battle of wills with his take-charge manner. It certainly doesn’t help that Norah begins to lose her heart to this Southern Gentleman.

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I tripped over another FREE book mentioned and forgotten about recently, in the busyness of life. I’ve read this one in the last year or so.

Her Deadly Inheritance (Jill Shepherd Suspense Book 1)

Amazon quote:

First a runaway. Now running for her life.

Won’t Jill’s family be surprised when she returns home to end their scheme to have her declared legally dead?

Clay Merrick may seem to be nothing more than a handy-man restoring homes, but when the former Special Forces operative tracks a brutal killer to Jill’s home town, he has most of the evidence he needs to bring the killer to justice … until Jill gets in the way. And when Jill exposes the mastermind behind her family’s murderous scheme, she ends any chance she has of remaining alive.

When the assassin moves in for the kill, it’s not just Clay’s mission on the line, but his heart.

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Book three in a series I’ve been reading has shown up as a bargain. I loved book one, didn’t enjoy book two as much but it was still good. Now I think I’d better give book three a try.

Cape Corral Keeper (Saltwater Cowboys Book 3)

Amazon quote:

They agreed to marry. But they never agreed to fall in love.

When Cape Corral Fire Chief Dillon McGrath saves a woman wearing a wedding dress from drowning, he knows he’ll have a great story to tell the guys at the station later. He never expected to get personally involved in the woman’s plight to stay alive.

Gracie Loveland had no choice but to run only moments before saying “I do” to her manipulative fiancé. Staying would have ultimately meant her death at the hands of the cruel man. Desperation, along with a dormant feistiness, surfaces as she fights to survive.

Only one plan might keep Gracie safe and help Dillon preserve the island’s wild horses. The idea seems crazy, but Dillon and Gracie can think of no other options. However, a foe from Gracie’s past is closing in, determined to get what he wants regardless of whose life he destroys in the process.

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Currently I’m reading a WWI historical novel. It’s not really about the war so much as it’s about family left behind to worry and make do as best they can.

Jane: A Fierce Heart (Harvey Girls Book 3)

Jane is determined to make the world a better place even when everything seems so bleak in this clean and wholesome historical western romance story.

Independent, red-haired Jane Harris is twenty years old in 1917 when war breaks out and changes her life. In her hometown of Beaumont, Virginia, she does her best to be a good sister, a good daughter, and to volunteer however she can for the war effort.
But it’s not enough. Her brothers, many of her friends, and the man she loves are gone to France, and Jane needs to do more than knit socks for them. She needs to be busy. She needs to leave home. Luckily, her mother understands, and soon Jane is interviewing to be a Harvey Girl.

The job comes with challenges she has never before experienced. Far away from home, she must stand against her adversaries, and sometimes against her friends. She will have to work hard to achieve things that come easily to those around her, but luckily she will learn that character triumphs over talent, especially when times are hard.

Watching a new world unfold all around her, Jane realizes she is changing too. Will she recognize the difference between childhood devotion and true love? Will she choose the man who can give her the love she deserves? And will he make it home safely?

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Well, this whole exercise has turned out to be much more productive than I ever expected which is awesome.

I’m going to poke my nose in this current book for awhile. The end is in sight and I’m ready to be done and start something new.

It has been a good book and I’ve enjoyed it but the downside is it has more detail than I have patience for. It’s time to move on.

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I have a short attention span when books are calling my name. Almost forgot to finish this off.

Now, I’m outa here!

Happy Reading everyone.