This is one of those days when it’s taking a herculean effort to sit down and write, I think it’s the uncomfortable space I’m in that’s at fault. I’ll going to try for a this-and-that kind of day and see if anything worthwhile shows up.
I think it’s been a cluster of things that are getting to me, none of it bad though. Some of it is probably taking me out of my comfort zone and that’s the reason for the distress. Adding all the little things together, it does a number on me. The worst thing about it is that the physical response to stress is sidelining me. Frustrating. I wish I could just take a pill and move on. Wouldn’t that be nice.
Oh well, at least there were bright spots in my week.
This was tax time and mine has been filed, on time. (sigh of relief) There was even a small refund. (Awesome.)
I finally gave in and ordered a replacement for a completely destroyed vacuum cleaner hose. I’d taped it together many times until it was finally hanging only by a thread. Even then I just held it together as best I could to limp through a cleaning. The hold up was insecurity about ordering the right thing.
It should arrive in the next few days so we’ll see if I made the right choice. I hate doing things when I don’t think I know what I’m doing.
Life is ironic sometimes. Between my house and my job, I’ve had to do more than a few things I’ve never done before. Especially in the last two years, and we’re not done yet. I have to say though, once I’ve done and conquered, I’m feeling pretty happy about myself.
There is another chore I’ve been putting off. If I want to keep them, I need to put chicken wire around some plants the neighborhood rabbits keep eating. I don’t mind them eating the grass but I wish they’d leave the plants alone. Wishful thinking on my part.
I’ve been hoping the rabbits would be a predator’s lunch one day but so far it hasn’t happened and they are getting big, maybe too big now. My neighbor tells me the eagles like to swoop in and grab lunch but so far these guys have managed to escape those clutches.
There’s more swirling around in my head but for your sake I’ll quit here. Maybe save it for another time.
I have to say writing this has been therapeutic for me and hopefully not too boring for you. đ
Currently I’m reading the book I promised in the last post. I’m loving it. One thing about longevity in writers, they can build on their experience to come up with increasingly complex characters and situations. That’s why I’m loving this book so much. I’m glad I grabbed it yesterday because it was a small window of opportunity, it’s not a bargain anymore. Even at full price it’s worth it though.
Full Disclosure
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.
BookRune has a FREE suggestion for us. This author is on my favorites list and I’ve recently read five of her books. I’m looking forward to this one too.
When I Come Home Again: A Big Prairie
Amazon quote:
A tragic fallout drove them apart. When a family crisis calls him back to his small hometown where she still lives, will forgiveness lead them to a second chance?
Brenna Blaum had been sure of three things in her lifeâher brother, her running, and her dadâs star receiver. But in a matter of a yearâs time, everything sheâd counted on fell apart, leaving her devastated. Seven years later, sheâs stable again. She has a supportive boyfriend, fulfilling career, and close friends. She keeps her past heartache where it belongsâin her rearview mirror. Until the man who broke her heart finds his way back to Big Prairie.
Craig Erikson had it allâpopularity, success, and the love of his high school coachâs daughter. But after a year of mistakes that ended in a tragic accident, heâd left Big Prairieâthe place heâd thought to always call homeâhoping that without his antagonizing presence, Brenna would be able to heal. Now his mother desperately needs him, as do two young boys in her care. Craig has little choice but to return for good.
Unsure that she can forgive him, Brenna does her best to avoid him. Irritated that she ignores him as if theyâd never meant anything to each other, Craig becomes determined not to allow it.
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That’s all I have for book suggestions at the moment but if anything else shows up I’ll let you know.
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Yesterday I shared pictures from family, of springtime in south western British Columbia, Canada. I was thrilled to see them mainly because we used to live there, within a few blocks of this actually. Spring is beautiful and looking at this picture brings back many pleasant memories.
In some ways I wouldn’t mind living there again but…
I have no reason to live there. That makes all the difference, I’ve found.
Without a reason it’s just not the same and it all falls kind of flat. There are a few places I’ve had reason to live more than once and it was different each time. The river of life moves on. I will treasure the memories I have of my time in Victoria and appreciate the new memories I’m making in this – my chosen spot, for now.
Speaking of my chosen spot, it is chilly out there. Last week we had storms and snow. This week the new snow is nearly gone and the weather is supposed to warm up, or so we were told. This morning I went out with the garbage, coat-less. Looking out it seemed like a hoodie should be enough. Not. The wind was bitter and it turned out to be -1c, feels like -8c.
Chatting with my neighbor for a few moments was a shivery affair.
Fickle, fickle weather.
One thing I do love about this place though; once the sun comes out it is always hot wherever it hits no matter what the real temperature is. Good job it shines often.
It is. Well, not quite yet at my house but, by the looks of this, it is at somebody’s house.
A beloved family member was out for a walk in the sunshine this morning, enjoying the scenery in her neighborhood, and shared some of her favorite spots with us. I think she may have even been bragging just a bit.
I have her permission to share with you. It is incredibly beautiful this time of year in her city, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada and these pictures are but a little taste of what it really looks like. I have to issue this disclaimer because some of the die-hard spring lovers over there would be wild to think that we aren’t showing the absolute best of what spring is really like in that part of the world.
For those of us living where winter comes for sure every year, we would be thrilled to pieces to have our world looking like this in the spring. I wouldn’t mind walking around the block, one bit.
Beloved family member will be 90 something this year… 4, maybe. I think she is amazing to be out walking around the neighborhood, snapping pictures on her iphone, sending them to those of us not lucky enough to live where she does lol.
One of those balconies up there is hers. On a sunny day she can sit out on the deck with a nice cup of tea, enjoying the mountains behind us, (work with me here, pretend we are right there looking up at her building) and yes, we do get to see those pictures too. Awesome.
Posting these pictures reminds me of some others I’d love to share if I could find them quickly. Since I can’t … next time.
A commenter, Sheri Dye from ReadBetwixtWords , after my last post with read and enjoyed asks “You read all of these? In April?.. Iâm so jealous! đ”
The answer popping into my head would be much too long for the comment box so I promised a post.
Normally I would read while eating my breakfast but this subject was much too engaging. Every second was spent thinking of all the things I wanted to say in reply.
So, how do I do it? Well, it’s complicated but not a bad thing. I have to say that because my first response to the question puts a big smile on my face, I think it’s pretty funny and I LOVE reading. When I think about it from the listener’s perspective, though, it sounds pathetic.
I am, for the most part, happy with my life. Even if I could do things differently I probably wouldn’t.
There are two major contributing factors to my lifestyle. I’m an introvert and I’m a survivor with hermit tendencies. Translated that means I have major trust issues. Home is safe so I stay home. A lot. I venture out several times a month, maybe. It’s covid, where would I go anyway? lol To be honest, life looks about the same for me now as it did pre-covid. Really, there’s nothing new to see here.
So, we’ve established, I have no life and it’s just me. My life can be ordered however I like and if I choose reading over housework no one complains.
On the realistic side though, I do still have a job and I’m grateful. It adds purpose to my life and gives me contact with the outside world, limited though it may be. I work remotely and spend all of my working time online.
Aside from my job and must-do things to keep myself alive and comfortable, I can do pretty much whatever I want.
So, how do I read so many books?
First of all, no TV. I didn’t watch it anyway and let the subscription go.
I read every second I’m not compelled to be doing something else. I’m addicted, what can I say.
On average I read a book a day. Some don’t really take all that long. For others I’ve developed some habits and learned some tricks.
I try to keep moving. It’s easy to drop back to a stroll when it should be a quick-step. If a book turns out to be the one where every word needs to be read, I give it the respect it deserves and slow down to savor the experience. Not many books are like that though.
Then there are the choices of speed reading or skimming.
Speed reading, I try but don’t use it much as it’s not often that I need to remember everything I’ve just read.
Skimming, I let my eyes quickly run down the middle of the page and at the bottom ask myself “Did I miss anything important?” If no then I keep going like that until a page shows up that deserves a closer look. Practice makes this an effective tool.
There are some things I flat out do not read.
Detailed descriptions of all kinds. What people are wearing. Surroundings. Some scenes between characters. Now and then a description sets the stage for future actions but mostly they do not. It takes more effort than I care to give for me to visualize whatever it is.
I avoid thought patterns and conversations. Sometimes the story is fixated on internal struggles and the same narrative happens over and over. Not worth my time to read it over and over.
Hop, skipping, jumping.
If the story moves slowly, I’ll skip paragraphs, pages and finally chapters. I’ll hop ahead a chapter, or two or three, at a time, stopping long enough to see what’s happening. Not much? Move on. Something? Stay awhile. If things are really bad I’ll jump to the last chapter or two where there is generally a story summary.
I love to read slowly and savor a book, if it deserves that kind of treatment. Honestly, most often they do not. There’s nothing wrong with giving it time if that’s what you want and at the same time, there’s nothing wrong with hurrying on through.
To read a book a day, I have to remind myself I don’t have time to sit and chat, I have to keep moving.
In a way this has become like a job to me. If I want to have something to say on this blog everyday I have to put in the time. If I download books and want to know about authors I’ve not read I have to find ways to keep up.
To summarize, if you want to read like I do: have no life and do not read every word.
It’s not perfect by any means but I love my life.
So, that’s how I do it!
And that picture? Totally me, sitting at my table for hours on end đ
There can never be too much helpful information. Although it’s good to be thoughtful in deciding which topic, and when.
I like to chose authors carefully, not everyone sells us good information. Misguided ideas or misinformed authors can do more harm than good.
I find it’s also helpful if I pay attention to my needs when it comes to the topic of the book. I’m not always emotionally ready for some topics and it ends up being harmful. Timing is everything sometimes.
Reading slowly enough to allow meditation time has been helpful too. It’s a great way to increase the impact of the information on my life. The trouble with this though, I can’t plough my way through these books the way I normally like to. What’s the point of reading it if I can’t absorb enough to make a difference, so I slow down and enjoy the journey.
Anyway, tonight’s book was suggested by a friend who is aware of my current place on the road to wellness. She’s heard Grant Mullen speak and respects his authority to handle the subject. She thinks this is a book I will find helpful so I’m going to give it a shot. I don’t think I currently have any of his books in my library, this will be a new voice for me.
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Emotionally Free: A Prescription for Healing Body, Soul, and Spirit
Amazon quote:
Are you struggling to control your thoughts, moods, and emotions? Are you tired of always living with a sense of spiritual defeat?
God wants us to be more than saved. He wants us to be transformed by the renewing of our mind.
Emotionally Free will show you how you can be transformed in body, soul, and spirit. You will discover a freedom you never knew was possible and reach a better understanding of how to resolve depression, anxiety, and mood swings. As a Christian mental health physician, Dr. Grant Mullen has observed the constant struggle that so many Christians live with every day. Many churches rarely acknowledge this struggle. Through patient interviews and his own journey, Dr. Mullen found three links in the chain of emotional bondage that keep Christians bound spiritually, mentally and emotionally. Emotionally Free describes those three links and how with Godâs help we can be set free to live a transformed and victorious life.
Learn how to assess your thoughts, personality, and spirit. Emotionally Free puts an end to the unnecessary competition that has existed among psychiatry, counselors, and deliverance ministers. These are important complimentary ministries that we all need. This book explains the role of each and how to know when you need them. You will also learn how depression, anxiety, and mood swings affect Christians in a unique way, and you will be able to assess your own moods and determine if you need medical treatment. Reach a greater understanding of where your spiritual authority comes from and how to use it to set yourself and others free. No matter how suffocating your bondage is now, God is waiting and willing to set you free. Dr. Mullen clearly outlines steps to invite the Holy Spirit into the problem to heal and restore you. Discover a new freedom in your mind, attitudes, reactions, and relationships as you become Emotionally Free.
Dr. Grant Mullen is a mental health physician in Ontario, Canada. He writes and lectures internationally on how medical treatment, deliverance and the healing of our emotional wounds all work together to break the chains of emotional bondage. Dr. Mullen has a special interest in how depression, anxiety and mood disorders affect Christians. Grant is married to Kathy and they have two children.
Podcasts. They have captured my attention and it would be safe to say I have been binge-watching often lately. Tonight was no exception and this is where the one-thing-lead-to-another comes in. And, in the end it led to books. I think that is quite awesome.
It’s no secret that there is abuse in my background. I’ve talked about it sparingly along the way and by the looks of it, will be sharing again.
As is often the case, the interviewee on the podcast has recently come out with a new book. Out of the six excellent videos watched tonight, the one to capture my interest the most was a story similar to mine. The ending in relation to her marriage was better than mine, aside from that though, the content was definitely helpful. Spoiler alert… the issue in the marriage was pornography, highly addictive and destructive. At the end of this post I’ll share the link for the podcast. Here is the book…
Choosing a Way Out: When the Bottom Isn’t the Bottom
Amazon quote:
Was it all a lie?
When the author heard her husband’s confession, it took her breath away. Looking back she realized her husbandâs sin exposed the deception in her own life. This uninvited crisis proved to be the impetus for her ultimate healing.
Kirsten writes that for most of her adult life she believed:
⢠She wasn’t good enough, or pretty enough, or smart enough, or rich enough, or talented enough, or whatever enough.
⢠She wasnât a good person. She was too stubborn, opinionated, and direct.
⢠She was a failure because sheâd tried something bold and audacious and didn’t succeed like planned.
⢠She was invisible and forgettable.
In these pages, youâll experience raw honesty and a clear path through the pain. Youâll realize that no depression is too dark and no lie too strong. Discover a powerful process where you exchange isolation for accountability and deception for deliverance. Today you can experience a way out, even in the bleakest of circumstances where the bottom doesnât feel like the bottom. The truth is that God is greater than your pain.
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There’s more.
In the suggestion strip at the bottom of the screen there was a book that appears to apply to me. The longer I looked at it, the more familiar it felt. I checked. I have two copies of it, gifted years ago by a concerned friend. I have read it and taken copious notes, it was that helpful. I have it but will tell you about it again anyway.
The Wounded Heart: Hope for Adult Victims of Childhood Sexual Abuse
Amazon quote:
For those who have experienced childhood sexual abuse and those who love and care for them, The Wounded Heart offers a tender, compassionate window into the psychological effects of abuse and the theological foundations for healing.
Thirty years ago, with great courage and vision, Dan Allender brought Christians to the table to acknowledge, understand, and help victims heal from their experience of the evil of sexual abuse. His work continues to help victims and those who love them to honestly acknowledge their abuse, understand the unique challenge of repentance for victims of abuse, and learn to love boldly in defiance of their trauma. Ultimately Dan offers the bold assurance to sexual abuse victims that even they can find their way to joy and hope in the comforting embrace of a good God.
The Wounded Heart has sold over 400,000 copies and has been the first book family, friends, counselors, pastors, and victims have turned to in search of Christian answers to the calamity of sexual abuse. With a new introduction reflecting on the ongoing importance of the book, and a companion workbook for personal and group recovery, The Wounded Heart continues to offer an urgently needed word of grace in a world ravaged by sexual abuse.
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So, further investigation led me to a newer book that I think is an updated version of The Wounded Heart. I think I need to read this one too.
Healing the Wounded Heart: The Heartache of Sexual Abuse and the Hope of TransformationÂ
Amazon quote:
First published in 1989, Dan Allender’s The Wounded Heart has helped hundreds of thousands of people come to terms with sexual abuse in their past. Now, more than twenty-five years later, Allender has written a brand-new book on the subject that takes into account recent discoveries about the lasting physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual ramifications of sexual abuse.
With great compassion Allender offers hope for victims of rape, date rape, incest, molestation, sexting, sexual bullying, unwanted advances, pornography, and more, exposing the raw wounds that are left behind and clearing the path toward wholeness and healing. Never minimizing victims’ pain or offering pat spiritual answers that don’t truly address the problem, he instead calls evil evil and lights the way to renewed joy.
Counselors, pastors, and friends of those who have suffered sexual harm will find in this book the deep spiritual guidance they need to effectively minister to the sexually broken around them. Victims themselves will find here a sympathetic friend to walk alongside them on the road to healing.
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One more for me from the suggestion strip.
For years I have been working on telling my story, looking for ways to express it more effectively. It’s important for several reasons. It’s therapeutic for me and affirming to those who hear it.
The percentages listed for those suffering as victims of abuse is high.
It looks like the numbers involved in addictions is even higher. Addicts leave victims, adding even more to the number of casualties. The importance of sharing our story is even greater now than it was when I started on this healing journey many years ago.
To Be Told: Know Your Story, Shape Your Future
Amazon quote:
God wants to reveal himself through your story. Discover how he has written your life so far, and how he is leading you into the rest of your story.
âThis is a book worth reading. To make sense of your life. To discover the role God is giving you in his story.ââJohn Eldredge, bestselling author of Wild at Heart and Get Your Life Back
Everyone wants clearer guidance from God on what to do with their future. In this insightful book, therapist and professor Dan Allender shows you how to listen to the stories of your life and identify the themes that God has written there. As you begin to understand both the hope and the heartache, you will gain a clearer sense of the meaning that God has written into every detail of who you are. Youâll also see how he invites you to join him in coauthoring the rest of your story. God is your Author, and he is showing you how to follow him into the future.
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In the above blurb the book Wild at Heart is mentioned. Excellent book. I have read my copy and highly recommend it. It’s written for men but gives helpful insight to the women in their lives.
Wild at Heart Expanded Edition: Discovering the Secret of a Man’s Soul
Amazon quote:
God did not create men to be nice boys. He created us to live a life of passion, freedom and adventure. To be dangerous men living in a really big story.
God designed men to be powerful. Simply look at the dreams and desires written in the heart of every boy: to be a hero, a warrior, to love a beauty, to live a life of adventure.
But sometime between boyhood and the struggles of yesterday, most men lose heart. All those passions, dreams, and desires get buried under deadlines, pressures, and disappointments. Christianity feels irrelevant to the recovery of their heart. No wonder most men leads lives of quiet resignation, meanwhile looking for a little âlifeâ on the side. In this provocative book, Eldredge invites men to wholeheartedness by
recovering their true masculine hearts;
healing the wounds and trauma in their stories; and
delighting in the strength and wildness they were created to offer the world.
In this updated and expanded edition of the timeless, bestselling classic, John Eldredge calls menâand the women who love themâto discover the true secret of a manâs soul and embrace the danger, passion, and freedom God intended for every man.
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I didn’t plan for this post to go so long but it’s all good stuff.
As promised, here is the link for the podcast that started this ball rolling for me. The interview was in two parts and it was the second that impacted me the most. They were both good though.
It would probably be a good idea to watch part one first to give you context. Due to the length of this post I won’t include the link but it will show up for you when this one is opened.
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I hope this will be as helpful to you on your journey as it has been to me on mine.
This is going to be a this-and-that kind of day, mainly because I have nothing in mind I feel compelled to talk about. The usual suggestion sources have failed me, probably because it is Easter weekend. Browsing was not lucrative, either.
I could do a book review but the one just finished left me with no enthusiasm for sharing. It was actually more than one book, it was a collection. I think there twelve books spread over 2100 pages or so.
Some of the stories moved along better than others but overall it was a bit of a drag. There were many sections with action and dialogue that left the reader wondering what was the purpose? Sometimes it was overuse of an action or prop resulting in speed bumps on a road that wasn’t meant to have any. Needless to say the hop-skip-and-jump method was used to finish, just so I could say I did.
One the bright side, good reads are more normal that bad reads. Also I keep track to avoid similar situations in the future.
I could start another book except that it’s time to make the requested broccoli salad so it will be ready for tomorrow’s dinner at my daughters. I’m excited, it has been awhile since our last visit and I’m anxious to see them.
I went shopping on Wednesday for the salad ingredients hoping to find what I needed before it was all gone. They were already out of fresh broccoli. There was a big bag of pre-cut hiding in the back of the salad section, it was not my first choice but I took it anyway just in case it was my last chance. Wouldn’t you know, they did have a new supply of the good stuff today.
Now I have to figure out what to do with the big bag I won’t be using for tomorrow’s salad. It won’t look quite like this but you get the general idea.
Tomorrow is story prompt day, no promises but we will see.
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Here’s the read I’m checking out as the next book to conquer. I do know I like this author so that is encouraging. A heavy subject might be a little hard to handle today though, but we will see.
Glimmer in the Darkness: Page-turning suspense with a sprinkling of romance (Coventry Saga)
Nothing could get her homeâŚbut this.
Cassidy Leblanc worked hard to shake off her tragic childhood. As a foster child with a mother in prison for murder, she was an outcast in her small New Hampshire town until she met James. But she and Jamesâs sister, whom she was babysitting, were kidnapped. She escaped, but Hallie didnât survive, and everybody assumed Cassidy killed her. Like mother, like daughter, after all. With public opinion and the authorities united against her, young Cassidy fled. Now, a decade later, another little girl has been kidnapped, and Cassidy may be the only person who can find her.
He doesnât know who to trust.
James Sullivan never believed that Cassidy killed his sister, no matter what the authorities said. When his best friendâs daughter goes missing a decade after Hallie’s murder, James keeps his opinions on the matter to himself. But when he finds Cassidy sneaking around his property, his thoughts turn dark. If sheâs not behind the recent kidnapping, what is she doing back in Coventry? Her answerâthat sheâs returned to find little Ella, and she needs his helpâhas him reeling. Can he trust Cassidy, despite what the police tell him? If thereâs any chance he can save Ella, he has to try.
I know I am in good company. That’s why we often see signs claiming it’s a fragrance free zone. Allergies abound. It’s too bad really, because some scents are exquisite. Wouldn’t it be great if it was possible to have pretty scents that are hypo-allergenic.
I used to wear perfume, way back in my teenage years, but had to quit. Something changed in me, my chemistry, to the point that what used to smell nice on me, suddenly didn’t. Sad, sad, day.
My allergic reactions have increased over the years and more and more things have became bothersome. Now, I avoid anything with a scent. There are a variety of reactions and some fragrances are less intolerable than others. I’m sure I could find something that would work for me but I don’t love perfume enough to search for just the right one.
This affliction affects many areas of my life, I’ve even had to quit a job over this issue.
Having left a job I loved (mostly, anyway) and taken another job that I didn’t, it was a safe place, I found myself in a bit of a dilemma.
The thing about this new place of employment was – it was full of scents of all kinds. Drugstores are like that. It had a thriving gift section with candles, oils, and all things pretty. The store also had a perfume case. While the gift section was near the front of the store the perfumes were at the back. It wasn’t difficult to avoid that area. Most of my time was on the cash registers at the front, well away from most things smelly.
My allergies were taking a back seat to more important life concerns, and I just put up with the minor reactions.
The interesting thing about perfumes was their attraction for shop lifters, a surprise to me.
There were other things in the store attractive to shop lifters too. Some products were a cheap substitute for alcohol. Others were ingredients used in the manufacture of street drugs, while popular items were sold on the black market to generate cash.
Changes had to be made to reduce shrinkage and the plan for the perfume case was to move all of it to the front of the store, on the shelving behind the tills.
Sometimes life has to become intolerable before I am willing to make changes. It was so bad that I was hearing impaired with the fluid build up in my right ear yet, I was still only flirting with the idea of quitting. Fortunately the decision was made easy for me in the end. My boss wanted to change my part-time status to full-time. Talk about a shove off the end of the pier.
It was a blessing in disguise. I found a better job, in a fragrance free zone.
The last couple of years an unidentified agent has rendered me hearing impaired for a few weeks in November. I guess quitting a job won’t be the easy solution to the problem this time.
We have books and cowboys are front and center, so far. BookRunes is behind this FREE suggestion.
I see I’ve downloaded four books from this author and read none of them. Mind you, when you see how many books are in my TBR pile you can tell it’s not the authors fault she’s languishing in the waiting room. I promise this one will be next.
It’s a good thing two of the previous downloads are part of this collection. Two birds with one stone.
Brothers of Miller Ranch Box Set: Contemporary Western Romance (Miller Family Saga Book 1)
Amazon quote:
Her Second Chance Cowboy When Ben accompanies his mother to an old friendâs funeralâŚthe last person he expects to see is her. Ben and Chastity were high school sweethearts whose three-year relationship ended dramatically. But they were once in the head-over-heels, canât-breathe-without-you kind of love. And now, they suddenly find themselves pushed into each otherâs lives again in the most surprising of circumstances.
Saving Her Cowboy After surviving a few combat fights in the military, Bart Miller is suffering from a severe case of PTSD. Then he meets the new employee at his familyâs ranch, Missy. She may just be the only person who can help Bart begin his journey to healing. But will Mrs. Miller see it that way? Especially since Missy is somewhat off limits as an employee at the Miller RanchâŚ
Her Rival Cowboy Danielle thinks Benjiâs just the arrogant, rich cowboy from the rival ranch down the road. So when he shows up on her familyâs ranch offering help after it suffered a big fire, sheâs less than cordial. Benji canât figure out why she seems to hate his guts for no good reason. Now he must decide if he wants to look past her attitude to do the right thing, or let her sour disposition chase him offâŚ
Her Fake-Fiance Cowboy Sophia Hernandez is on the run from her past. Then, out of nowhere, like a knight in shining armor, Bradley Miller shows up and runs off the man who has been haunting all of her dreams. And her world is suddenly turned upside down. Together, maybe the two of them can defeat the shadow lurking over Sophiaâs life. But doing so means trusting again, and some things are too impossible a task.
Taming Her Cowboy Billionaire Bryant Miller is a cowboy billionaire who thinks he has it all. Keiko Albryte is out to prove him wrong. But although Keikoâs life looks perfect on the outside, she has a few struggles of her own, which Bryant soon finds out about. Even so, Bryant still doesnât seem to be deserving of a good woman like her. Will their hurts combined be too volatile together? Or will they be just right for each otherâŚ
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Author Chautona Havig mentioned this bargain on her Facebook page. I’ve not read this author but would love to try.
Far Side of the Sea
Amazon quote:
In spring 1918, Lieutenant Colin Mabry, a British soldier working with MI8 after suffering injuries on the front, receives a message by carrier pigeon. It is from Jewel Reyer, the woman he once loved and who saved his life–a woman he believed to be dead. Traveling to France to answer her urgent summons, he desperately hopes this mission will ease his guilt and restore the courage he lost on the battlefield.
Colin is stunned, however, to discover the message came from Jewel’s half sister, Johanna. Johanna, who works at a dovecote for French Army Intelligence, found Jewel’s diary and believes her sister is alive in the custody of a German agent. With spies everywhere, Colin is skeptical of Johanna, but as they travel across France and Spain, a tentative trust begins to grow between them.
When their pursuit leads them straight into the midst of a treacherous plot, danger and deception turn their search for answers into a battle for their lives.
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I’m not doing so well on the reading front, I’m still in the current read from yesterday. Too many other things grabbing my attention today. Things like Facebook friends, Amazon Kindle store, singer/songwriter Jimmy Yeary’s music podcast on Facebook. I’d share his recent podcast with special guest Ronnie Bowman but sadly, the link can’t be shared on this platform. Oh well.
A Still Small VoiceÂ
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OK, I’m off to read while I have lunch.
It’s 2:50 pm lol
Food doesn’t seem to be all that important while I’m having fun.
A short interview on a timely topic, for me anyway. It feels to me like this should be shared.
Coffee break is awesome today. This video is part of an interview series I’ve been following and this man is very wise. The series is based on a book he’s written, so there you go, we still have books to think about.
This resonates with me because past buried, horrendous, memories still plague me in the form of triggers. I’ve come a long way in the last decade but there is still more to be done and I appreciate any resource crossing my path.
I share because it touches me but also because someone else may need to hear this as well.
Wishing you the very best in your healing journey.
