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Free and bargain books May 15, 2020

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It happened again. So I’m wondering. Why do most female lead characters wear scoop neck tops these days?  More importantly – why is it necessary for me to know this?

Maybe it takes awhile for these often-used words to work their way through the system enough to be recognized as tired.

My eyes tend to glaze over when they encounter wardrobe descriptions, Terms like casual, classy, slovenly, paint pictures in my mind. Minute descriptions, not so much. Once in a while there is a reason why we need to know how a character is dressed, but mostly… it matters little to the story.

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A FREE book suggestion.

Two O’clock Slump (The Hartfield Mysteries Book 3)

two o'xlock slump

Amazon quote:

It’s time for Alexa’s bi-annual trip to her hometown. In the wake of her dear friend’s arrest and her recent engagement, the trip should have been a welcome diversion. However, her trips to California’s Mojave Desert only bring pain and reminders of why she moved halfway across the country in the first place.
Any hope for a quiet rest away from the drama of recent months disappears as an alarm clock in the hotel room next to hers awakens her at two o’clock in the morning.
To her astonishment, Alexa finds herself under suspicion for the murder. When the evidence piles up against her, Joe decides it’s time for her to leave. While Alexa stays “off the grid” and out of the hands of her hometown police, Joe works quickly to find who is really responsible.

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BookRunes has a FREE Fiction suggestion for us.

I AM My Beloved Caryl Mcadoo

I am My Beloved

Amazon quote:

The wisdom of this world is foolishness to God.
How could the wisest man ever to live turn away from following God? The key is in Ecclesiastes and the Song of Songs that King Solomon wrote after his return to the Lord. Who was the Shulamite? And why did he call her his sister spouse? Only God knows the answer, but the wisest man who ever lived left clues. You will never forget reading this anointed story and may find yourself setting it down to wipe tears away or simply worship the great I AM.

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I’m currently reading and enjoying Just as I Am and it’s still a bargain at $0.99

Just As I Am: (Unfailing Love Book 1)

 

Just as I Am

 

Quote:

Adeline Rhodes has spent years locked away in a New Orleans apartment controlled by her criminal boyfriend. After a daring escape, she realizes just how far she has grown from the things in which she once believed.

Declan King has lived a life of solitude and duty for the U.S. Army. When the deaths of his grandparents bring him home to his family farm, he is forced into contact with people who know too much about his past to simply leave him alone.

When Adeline’s past catches up to her, the two strangers find themselves thrust into a fake relationship to protect Adeline from her vengeful ex. As their chance meeting begins a journey that heals old wounds, they struggle to stay ahead of the danger and deny their growing attraction to each other.

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This is a holiday long weekend for us and the weather is promising to be nice and warm. I’m excited about attaching the weeds poking through in the flower beds. Of course, I’m looking forward to reading time too!

I hope life is looking a little better for you and your’s, like our’s is here. Restrictions have been relaxed somewhat and we can meet in small groups. Stay safe.

Happy Reading to you too.

Free and bargain books May 14, 2020

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BookRunes has a FREE suggestion for us today. It appears this is part of a series written with various authors. They are stand alone stories but sometimes their characters will  show up briefly in each other’s books.

A Lily Blooms (Cutter’s Creek Book 4)

A Lily Blooms

Amazon quote:

Lily used to dream of marrying her math tutor, James.

When she interrupts his wedding, her dreams die as her embarrassment rises.

Five years later, he’s back and wants to know how Lily knew his wife was not what she claimed to be?

Can the Lord bring together two broken hearts?

Especially when her parents and the little town seem so against it?

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Book 1 in the same series is still FREE as well. I can remember reading and liking this one in January.

That Healing Touch (Cutter’s Creek, Book 1)

The Healing Touch

Amazon quote:

Jack Carlson spied for the union army for four, long years and what did he get for his trouble? Blindness. Battered by the war and lost without his sight, he seeks refuge in Cutter’s Creek, Montana. There he hopes to heal his bitter heart. But he’s going to need a lot more help than what he can come up with. His cousin, the local preacher, thinks so too and sends off for a mail-order bride for him, praying a wife will do the trick.
Willow Bennett has been in love with the same man all her life. As a young girl she followed Jack Carlson and his friends until they managed to out run her. As a young woman…well, a girl can dream, can’t she? Imagine her surprise when she becomes a mail-order bride and discovers Jack is her intended! That’s not the only surprise she gets in this story of forgiveness, hope and love.

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A FREE novella from an author we have seen before.

Out of the Storm (Beacons of Hope)

Out of the Storm

Amazon quote:

Having grown up in a lighthouse, loneliness is all Isabelle Thornton has ever known–and all, she assumes, she ever will know. But when her lightkeeper father rescues a young man from the lake, her sheltered world is turned upside down.

Bestselling author Jody Hedlund’s Out of the Storm is her first ever novella and introduces readers to Beacons of Hope, a new series set in the 1800s amid the romance, history, and danger surrounding the Great Lakes lighthouses of Michigan.

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I’ve just started a new book and it is still a bargain $1.28.  It’s too early to form an opinion.

Montana Dawn (McCutcheon Family Series Book 1)

Montana Dawn

Amazon quote:

When Luke McCutcheon finds Faith Brown about to give birth in her rickety wagon, his first instincts are to ride for help. Instead, he stays and delivers a beautiful baby girl. Unable to leave the pretty young widow and her little son and newborn unprotected in the Montana wilderness, he brings them along on his family’s cattle drive, to the absolute delight of the other friendly cowboys. 

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Happy Reading

Free and bargain books May 12, 2020

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BookBub has a bargain suggestion for us on this fine day.

Second Chance Summer: Encore Edition ($1.38)

Second Chance Summer

Amazon quote:

When Rachel Shaw and Jack Fletcher meet on a sunny Georgia barrier island, it seems like the perfect start to a romance.

There’s just one problem—neither is the least bit interested in falling in love. They’re simply looking for peace, and time to work through their losses.

But Rachel’s Aunt Eleanor and Fletch’s Gram have a few surprises in store for these two wound-ed souls—and as they enlist their help restoring a vacation cottage for one of Gram’s charities, might these endearing matchmakers pave the way for Rachel and Fletch to discover the charms of the Golden Isle…and each other?

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It’s a slow day for new Free and bargain suggestions so I’ll share some of my recently read and enjoyed. I’ve just finished this one and it’s still a bargain at $1.31 

Some Enchanted Evening: (Men of KWESTT Book 1)

Some Enchanted Evening

Amazon quote:

Kellan Campbell, principal singer with chart-topping musical group KWESTT, longs for roots and a family to call his own, but he’ll settle for a vacation from the fast-paced, demanding life of touring. Shedding his well-known stage persona to avoid recognition, he heads for a backwoods Missouri campground to rest and recuperate in the great outdoors. But his attempts at avoiding people are stymied by the campground’s energetic, quick-witted manager. He’d be annoyed if he wasn’t starting to look forward to her company and crazy sense of humor.

JoyAnne loves her job as manager of the flourishing family campground. After being tossed upside down and shattered, her life is finally feeling safe, predictable, and secure. And she’s determined to stay right where she’s at, doing what she does best—ensuring guests enjoy their camping experience.

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Next read-and-enjoyed is…

Protected (Jacobs Family Series Book 2) ($1.37) this one is my favorite.

Protected

Amazon quote:

When Erin Jacobs receives a desperate call in the middle of the night, she thinks she is rescuing an animal. But from the beginning, this case is not what she expected.

Erin Jacobs doesn’t hesitate to jump into rescue mode when she receives a desperate call in the middle of the night. As owner of the Noah’s Ark Animal Shelter, it’s her job to rehabilitate and find new homes for animals. But from the moment she answers the phone, she knows that this case is different.

A woman’s frantic plea.
Directions to a deserted hunter’s cabin.
The demand that she come alone.
All culminate into the moment when she is standing on a dilapidated porch in the middle of the woods and looking down into a washtub at an infant child.

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Lastly…. this one is still FREE

Blast from Her Past 

Blast from Her Past

Amazon quote:

After a disastrous failed engagement, Sydney Hampson is leaving her past—and her faith—behind to focus on her career instead. However, following through with her new, albeit misguided, resolution proves easier said than done when former classmate, and reformed bully, Grant Williams signs on with her company, and they must work closely together.

Grant Williams gave up his teenage antics years ago, and now he’s looking forward to a future that includes a strong relationship with God. When he realizes he’ll be working with none other than Sydney Hampson—the girl he had a secret crush on throughout high school—he couldn’t be more thrilled. Until he discovers she’s not the same caring, compassionate woman she used to be.

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I’m currently reading Called to Protect (Blue Justice Book #2) but it has gone back to full price.

Called to Protect

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Hopefully this list helps a little.

Until tomorrow…

Happy Reading!

Free and bargain books May 11, 2020

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BookBub has a FREE suggestion for us today.

If These Walls Could Talk (Joe Boyd Suspense Series Book 1)

If these Walls Could Talk

Amazon quote:

(This is a “Sequel Series” to the Jack Turner Suspense Series – picks right up after Book 4 but can easily be read first)

In Book 1 of the new Joe Boyd Suspense Series, Lt. Joe Boyd and his partner Hank Jensen have been tasked with creating a brand new Cold Case Squad for the Culpepper Police Department. Hoping to garner some much-needed positive publicity, their captain asks them to solve a string of unsolved murders from the 1980’s. Before they get far, Joe is interrupted with an alarming request from his good friend, Professor Jack Turner. Jack and Rachel believe they have stumbled upon evidence of a horrific crime dating back to the early 60’s, when their lake front house was built. Now it looks like Joe’s first case—instead of creating good publicity—might expose a terrible scandal involving a prominent Culpepper family’s ugly secret, one they’ve managed to keep hidden for over 50 years.

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Book 1 in the initial series referenced above is a bargain right now ($1.30) and is one of my read-and-enjoyed from a few years ago.

When Night Comes (Jack Turner Suspense Series Book 1)

When Night Comes

Amazon quote:

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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Another read-and-enjoyed is currently FREE for us to enjoy.

Deadly Alliances Candle Sutton

Deadly Alliances

Amazon quote:

Milana Tanner, deputy for the US Marshals, at your service. I have no past, so don’t ask. And now my future is uncertain, too.

It wasn’t that long ago that everything was fine. My life might’ve even been similar to yours. Until my adopted brother, part of the only family I’ve ever known, joined countless others who call themselves witnesses. As in the “I witnessed a murder and now some really nasty people are trying to kill me” type of witness.

My brother’s under federal protection. I have to say I never saw this coming.

The people after my brother have hired the Shadow of Death to kill him. That’s not the assassin’s real name, of course, but it’s what everyone in law enforcement calls him. No one’s seen this guy and lived to describe him. The man – or woman, no one really knows for sure – could be anyone, anywhere.

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Happy Reading y’all

Free and bargain books May 10, 2020

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BookRunes has a FREE suggestion

Blast from Her Past

Blast from Her Past

Amazon quote:

After a disastrous failed engagement, Sydney Hampson is leaving her past—and her faith—behind to focus on her career instead. However, following through with her new, albeit misguided, resolution proves easier said than done when former classmate, and reformed bully, Grant Williams signs on with her company, and they must work closely together.

Grant Williams gave up his teenage antics years ago, and now he’s looking forward to a future that includes a strong relationship with God. When he realizes he’ll be working with none other than Sydney Hampson—the girl he had a secret crush on throughout high school—he couldn’t be more thrilled. Until he discovers she’s not the same caring, compassionate woman she used to be.

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A bargain found along the way…

Baxter Family Bakery: (Arcadia Valley Romance) ($1.39)

Baxter Family Bakery

Amazon quote:

Four siblings work together to start their own locally sourced bakery in idyllic Arcadia Valley and they all find their match along the way.

Loaves & Wishes: Inheriting her friend’s Bed and Breakfast in Idaho is a second chance to succeed, but falling for the farmer next door wasn’t in the plan.

Muffins & Moonbeams: Past hurts and insecurity mean they both prefer the background, but a chance at love shines a light too bright to escape.

Cookies & Candlelight: Micah Baxter has enjoyed the year he’s worked in his family’s bakery in Arcadia Valley, even if his siblings are all finding love, leaving him the odd man out. When Micah delivers the cookies Serena ordered for an event at her pottery studio, the attraction between them is hard to deny. But so are their differences. What will it take for a former starlet to find love with an average Joe?

Donuts & Daydreams: Police officer Gloria Sinclair had her life in order until Jonah Baxter moved to Arcadia Valley. Now their friendship has sparked feelings that threaten her tightly-guarded secret. Can Jonah learn to see beyond her devastating revelation, or will they be stuck with a relationship made of donuts and daydreams?

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Another bargain boxed set

Romance from the Heart Boxed Set ($1.39)

Romance from the heart

Amazon quote:

The Quintana siblings are too busy saving their struggling family restaurant to fall in love… Four heartwarming, small-town Western stories of intense attraction, shocking secrets, and the twisty path to the altar.

Sheltered Hearts: A jilted bride gets stranded in a snowstorm with a handsome restaurant cook who’s not what he seems to be.

Secrets of the Heart: When a single mom returns to her hometown to manage the farm-to-table remake of a struggling Mexican restaurant, she must work closely with the handsome ex who broke her high-school heart.

Wise at Heart: He’s an old friend. She’s his nanny. There’s a spark. It would all be so romantic… if she weren’t keeping such a terrible secret.

Joy of My Heart: Will the overprotective Quintana brothers stand by while their little sister falls in love with a mysterious older man?

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One last bargain book

The Pepper In The Gumbo (Cane River Romance Book 1) ($1.29)

The Pepper in the Gumbo

Amazon quote:

Alice Augustine runs the oldest bookstore in the historic district of Natchitoches and believes technology is the root of most problems. If only more people would turn off the Tv and shut down the computer, the world wouldn’t be in the mess it’s in. She wishes she could get the teens she loves to step away from the screens and hold on to their Creole culture. The only person who seems to understand her passion for classic literature is the mysterious website owner, Browning Wordsworth Keats.

Paul Olivier comes back to his home town determined to show the people of Cane River that he’s not the poor, nerdy kid he once was. He’s made a fortune designing video games and opening a giant electronics store right in the snooty historic district will be the crowning glory of his career. Unfortunately, one bookish anti-tech fanatic has decided to do everything she can to keep that from happening. Even worse, she doesn’t know that in cyber space, they’re kindred spirits.

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Currently reading book 2 in this collection

Garden Grown Romance: The Complete Collection (Arcadia Valley Romance) ($0.99)

Garden Grown Romance

The Garden Grown Romance series is Valerie Comer’s contribution to the multi-author Arcadia Valley Romance series, where a foodie culture and romance grow hand-in-hand in a small town with a big heart. In this stand-alone sub-series, Grace Fellowship repurposes a pair of derelict greenhouses and their attached lot, while providing a setting for garden grown romance!

 

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Today is Mother’s Day. A special day set aside to honor our mothers. My mother is no longer with us so all I can do is remember her in my heart. Instead, I’m grateful to my daughter/daughters-in-law for being such great moms to my grandchildren.

Maybe I should have searched for stories centered around mothers. To bad I didn’t think of it in time. Next year.

In the meantime I have a few phone calls to make.

Happy Reading!

 

 

 

 

Free and Bargain books May 09, 2020

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BookBub has a bargain suggestion for us. I like offering opinions but can’t on this one as I’ve not seen it before.

Star Rising: A Coastal Hearts Novel ($0.99)

Star Rising

Amazon quote:

Star Youngblood has always been a fighter–a necessity after her mother married a monster of a man. Now, she’s finally on the path to the stable life she’s always wanted. Her employer, Priscilla Kelly, is a sweet woman ravaged by rheumatoid arthritis, and Star will do anything to help her. Even if that means going toe to toe with Mrs. Kelly’s neglectful son.

After being betrayed on the mission field and devastated by the tragic death of his father, Paul Kelly gave up on God. He lives life on his own terms, biding his time as a corporate pilot until he can save enough money to begin his own flight school closer to home. His mother is all he has left, and he wants to be near her. He just didn’t expect her health to decline so quickly. When he discovers his mother has taken in a stray—a woman he’s not at all sure can be trusted—his protective instincts kick into high gear. Paul’s handled a lot of turbulence, but he’s never gone up against a force like Star.

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BookRunes has a FREE suggestion for us. I can’t offer an opinion on this one either.

A Fine Mess: A Love Inspired Romance

A Fine Mess

Amazon quote:

She would sacrifice anything for those she loved…

Annie Blake put her life on hold to care for her mother when she was diagnosed with cancer. She didn’t consider it a sacrifice as much as a labor of love. But then she learns that her father has done something completely out of character, not to mention criminal, in a misguided attempt to save the life of his wife. Annie realizes she will have to give up more than just a job and an apartment this time. To save him from going to prison, she will have to give up her freedom.

His life was going according to plan – until the day she showed up…

The last thing Ian McCann expected was the bombshell the daughter of an employee dropped in his lap at the start of the three-day weekend. She needed help, and plenty of it. She also needed it immediately, and hoped he would be able to help. He knew that he could, he just wasn’t sure he was prepared to give what it would require to fix everything.

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This list is short today but tomorrow could be better.

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I was currently reading a book but gave up on it minutes ago. It was okay in a way but not okay enough to hold my interest.

It was long on attraction and short on story. That gets old after a few books and it’s a downhill slide from there. I’ve passed the few books mark many moons ago and the slick slide has been happening more and more often lately.

Partly because I read and move on so quickly – it’s hard to remember what was not liked and I find myself caught, again.

I’ve decided it would be smart to keep a list of disappointments to avoid wasting time in the future. My list is called Short on story – Long on PDA (Public Displays of Affection).  It’s on paper. In a journal next to my keyboard. It won’t be showing up here any time soon if you are hoping to see it. Certain authors just will not be seen as often any more.

I love a good story, one that is worth my reading time and adds value to my life. That’s what I’m looking for and what I hope to find for you.

I have a few lists going on these days, to avoid getting caught with undesirables. I’ll tell you about some of the others another time.

In the meantime…

Happy Reading!

Free and bargain books May 7, 2020

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BookBub has a FREE suggestion for us today. It’s already on my read-and-enjoyed list.

A Soldier’s Promise: (Crystal Lake Series Book 2)

A Soldier's Promise

Amazon quote:

Reeling from a broken engagement that resulted in a small town scandal, ER nurse Julie Crain just wants to be left alone over the Fourth of July Holiday weekend. But when single dad, Derek Ryerson and his young daughter need a place to stay to recuperate from a car accident, Julie can’t ignore their plight. She knows she needs to protect her heart, but little Lexi needs love and support.

Derek is the strong silent type, insisting on helping despite being injured. He seems too good to be true, and maybe he is. Because she soon realizes the former soldier has a secret that could tear them apart forever.

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Browsing unearthed another read-and-enjoyed bargain from a year ago.

For Love of Liberty (Silver Lining Ranch Series Book 1)  ($1.31)

For Love of Liberty

Amazon quote:

A Match Made in Heaven?
Or Someplace a Whole Lot Warmer?

She’s stubborn, educated, and looking
to give women the vote.
He’s bullheaded, successful, and looking
to give her a piece of his mind.
But when things heat up, they just may give each other
a piece of their hearts.

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I’ve mentioned this FREE book several times and can’t help but mention it again. I think it’s the message of hope that keeps drawing me back. Or, maybe it’s because I would like to believe in a love like that.

A Woman of Fortune (Texas Gold Collection Book 1)

A Woman of Fortune

Amazon quote:

You never know what you’re really made of until you lose everything.

Texas socialite Claire Massey is living the dream—designer clothes, luxury cars, stunning homes. But everything comes crashing down when her charming cattle broker husband is arrested for fraud. Suddenly she finds herself facing attorneys, a media frenzy, and a trail of broken hearts. Betrayed and humiliated, Claire must maneuver incredible odds to save her family—and discover a life worth living.
Author Kellie Coates Gilbert delivers a story both poignant and emotionally gripping that celebrates the kind of fortune that lasts.

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Can you believe it, I’ve downloaded fifteen books from Liz Isaacson. This bargain will make sixteen.

Falling for Her Boss: (Horseshoe Home Ranch Romance Book 1) ($.31)

Falling for her boss

Amazon quote:

The ranch foreman, the fiery new designer he hires, and an old flame that could burn them both…

Jace Lovell only has one thing left after his fiancée abandons him at the altar: his job at Horseshoe Home Ranch. He throws himself into becoming the best foreman the ranch has ever had—and that includes hiring an interior designer to make the ranch owner’s wife happy.

Belle Edmunds is back in Gold Valley after she lost her job at a prestigious design firm in California. She’s working for a conglomerate, but she’s desperate to build a portfolio that she can use to start her own firm in Montana. She applies for the job at Horseshoe Home, and though Jace and Belle grew up together, they’ve never seen eye to eye on much more than the sky is blue.

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I think this new list makes a good start to our reading day.

Happy Reading y’all!

Free and bargain books May 04, 2020

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1531 Entertainment suggested both this three book bargain collection and a stand-alone FREE book. Two new items we’ve not seen before.

Miracle Cove: The Collection  ($1.31 CDN)

Mischief in Miracle cove collection

Amazon quote:

If you like sweet small-town Southern romance, then you’ll love these faith-filled stories set in the beautiful Smoky Mountain foothills of East Tennessee.

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This author has more bargain collections if you are interested.

Honey Suckle Cove collectionDiamond Knot Dreams

Sweet Summer Love

All three of these collections contain short stories so it will be a quick read.

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Beneath the Blackberry Moon: the Red Feather: Book 1 (Creek Country Saga) (FREE)

Beneath the Blackberry Moon

Amazon quote:

On a moonless night in 1813, Adela McGirth encounters a set of wolves and the steely eyed warrior who slays them, searing himself on her heart. When he returns, it’s with a brand of a different sort–the flaming arrow that destroys her life.

In the copper-haired captive, Totka Lawe finds the other half of his spirit. He vows he would die ten deaths to protect her, and he would kill any who tried to steal her away. With bluecoat soldiers pursuing him, a jealous cousin pursuing her, and the woman herself pursuing home, that vow stands a serious chance of being called into action.

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LPC Books has a FREE suggestion for us. One we’ve seen before.

The Spindle Chair (The Barn Church Series Book 1)

The Spindle Chair

Amazon quote:

Laurie Crane is happily married, yet she aches to have a child. During her husband’s moments of quiet sadness she senses a void she believes only a child can fill. Pierce wants a child, too and has spent years praying alongside his wife. But he has no idea that a “yes” from God will unearth long-buried memories and bring their marriage to the brink of catastrophe. What happens when “happily-ever-after” becomes more than you can bear?

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Happy Reading!

Free and bargain books May 01, 2020

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Author Staci Stallings is the featured artist today. You might think of musicians/singers when I say artist. I could be wrong about the rest of you but that’s the first thing to pop in my head …. music. Except today. When I stop to think about it, the term artist fits writers too. They create pictures and music. Their words crafted into a magical story. Sometimes it is light and fanciful, sometimes dark and somber, or most often – somewhere in between. Life is better with music, no matter the form it takes.

Staci has the heart for a song and a picture.

This first one I recall reading six years ago and, as it turns out, I remember reading the rest too.

Deep in the Heart: A Contemporary Christian Romance Novel (FREE)

Deep in the Heart

Amazon quote:

Just out of college and completely alone in the world, Maggie Montgomery has one shot left to save her life from an abyss of poverty and hopelessness. Clinging to the last shred of fuel and hope, she arrives at the mansion of Texas billionaire Conrad Ayer. Although Maggie is clearly not what Mr. Ayer and his wife have in mind for a nanny, they agree to hire her temporarily until they can find someone more appropriate to fill the position. However, Maggie’s whole world is about to be up-ended by two way-over-scheduled children and one incredibly handsome hired hand. As she struggles to fit into a world she was never made to fit in, Maggie wonders if she can ever learn to become a perfect version of herself so she can keep the job, or is she doomed to always be searching for a life she can never quite grasp?

Keith Ayer despises his life. As the son of Texas billionaire Conrad Ayer and the fiance to a Senator from Texas’ daughter, it looks great on the outside, but inside, he is dying. He would vastly prefer to manage and train his father’s racehorses. However, everyone else thinks that is beneath him. He needs to get into industry and build on his father’s success. Suffocating under the constrictions of his life, he meets Maggie who begins to teach him that wealth and power is not everything in this life. But can Keith defy the most powerful men in Texas to follow his heart?

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Coming Undone: Contemporary Christian Romance Fiction (FREE)

Coming Undone

Amazon quote:

Ben Warren has life all figured out. At 35, he’s successful in his work and free as a bird everywhere else. He has no desire to be tied down like some of his friends, and he sees no reason to change that. Then the unthinkable happens and causes him to rethink everything about everything.

Kathryn Walker can’t figure out what she’s doing wrong in the dating department. The rest of her life makes sense. She’s compassionate, strong, honest, hard-working and still alone. She wonders if she is doomed to spend forever single. Little does she know that her life is about to take a major turn. In fact, she doesn’t even see it happening until it has. Can she ever get past the fact that Mr. Right didn’t show up in the way she thought he would?

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More Than This: A Contemporary Christian Romance Novel ($1.31)

More Than This

Amazon quote:

Liz Savoy has no plans to date anyone—least of all the dark handsome mystery man who sometimes inhabits the corner table at the coffee shop where she’s working to get through school. But plans change, sometimes in ways no one expected.

Jake McCoy is the next mega-millionaire author, or at least he would be if he could get the stories in his head down on the ether. With no good place to write, he resorts to dark corners in Wi-Fi hotspots, knowing no one in the world cares about him or his comings and goings one way or the other. However, there is one waitress at The Grind coffee shop with a cute smile and kind eyes who doesn’t seem to think he is as invisible as he likes to think he is. Can reality with her ever hope to match the fantasy world where his imagination has him living?

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To Protect & Serve: (The Courage Series, Book 1)  (FREE)

To Serve and Protect

Amazon quote:

To save others’ lives, they will risk their own…

Houston firefighter, Jeff Taylor is a fireman’s fireman. He’s not afraid of anything, and no situation is too dangerous to keep him on the sideline if lives are at stake.

Lisa Matheson runs a semi-successful ad agency that’s on the brink of falling apart. Her employees are incompetent, and her schedule has become exhausting. When she takes on a client with a brilliant idea for a big conference, she thinks that maybe, finally this is her lucky break. However, the fire station wasn’t what she had in mind for finding conference speakers. When she falls for a handsome but shy firefighter, it’s possible that life might just be going her way for a change. The only problem is she can’t control Jeff and the death wish he seems to have…

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There are even more to be found, if you search for Staci Stallings. In the meantime… we’ll quit here for today.

Happy Reading! 

Free and bargain books April 29, 2020

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It’s another slow day but still, not a total loss. BookRunes has a FREE suggestion that is quite a departure from the selections we normally see. I like departures and the chance to read something out of the norm for me. As always, with an author new to me I can’t guarantee if it will or it won’t meet expectations as a good read. The first page or two suggests it will be good so I’m hoping it will be awesome.

I think one of the reasons I am drawn to this novel is related to my fascination with retreats. Especially monastic retreats with a vow of silence and simplicity, along with the structure of daily rituals. I’m not Catholic although my paternal grandparents, aunts and uncles are. I was raised Protestant with my maternal grandparents but there is still an underlying connection somehow. Between the sight of the monastery 30 miles from where I grew up and the stories of one of my high school Catholic girlfriends, a retreat has always been on my bucket list. I’m sure the picture formed in my teenage head would be quite different from today’s reality. This introvert will probably keep it just as that… a fanciful dream.

In the meantime I plan to enjoy this book.

Poustinia: A Novel (Poustinia Series Book 1) 

Poustinia

Amazon quote:

The nuns need income. The guests need hope. Can Victoria provide a solution?

When Victoria Sullivan finds herself at a crossroad in life, she books a rustic cabin in the woodlands of the Monastery of St. Carmella. While trying to discern her future, she meets other guests who face their own challenges.

The Sisters also have a dilemma, as they anticipate a merger because of their dwindling numbers and an aging congregation. Will they lose their beloved homeland, nestled among the vineyard, forest, and lake?

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I’m currently reading Taken, just started actually. I’m a fan of Dee Henderson and do not expected to be disappointed. This is still a bargain at $0.99, read along with me -especially if you’ve not yet met this author.

Taken, Dee Henderson

Taken

Amazon quote:

An investigator who knows tragic loss firsthand,
and his new client, missing far too long…

Abducted at the age of sixteen and coerced into assisting the Jacoby crime family, Shannon Bliss has finally found a way out. She desperately wants to resume some semblance of normal life, but she also knows she has some unfinished business to attend to. She might have enough evidence to put her captors behind bars for a very long time.

When Shannon contacts private investigator Matthew Dane, a former cop, to help her navigate her reentry into society, he quickly discovers that gaining her freedom doesn’t mean her troubles are over. If the Jacoby family learns she is still alive, they’ll stop at nothing to silence her.

If justice is to be done, and if Shannon’s life is ever to get on track again, Matthew will need to discover exactly what happened to her–even if it means stirring up a hornet’s nest of secrets.

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Good news where I live. They are starting to ease up on Covid-19 restrictions starting next week. Our province has wide open spaces with low population density and our health officials have been proactive in putting protective measures in place. Our affected numbers are low because of all that. Hopefully this easing will happen soon for the rest of the world too.

In the meantime….

Enjoy Reading!