Story Prompt – Fallout

This is week ten (I think. I missed a few) in the Sunday Scribblings  prompt hosted by Peckapalooza: The Confusing Middle.

I’ve decided to hook these challenges together to make a chapter story. Might as well make something out of it if I can. Besides it helps with inspiration, having a starting place.

The earlier chapters can be found here to bring you up to speed on the whole story.

Carly was in witness protection but her cover was blown and her life threatened.

With her protection team, they were on the run for weeks unsure of the seriousness of the threat, not wanting to take a chance with her life.

Now, Bella (new place new name) is working to settle into a new life.

Here is this week’s installment and challenge.

 

Chapter Eight

Fallout

Bella was frustrated. Two weeks. Two weeks had gone by and she was not one step closer to a cover story she could live with.

The fallout would be catastrophic is she couldn’t get it right. Why was this so hard?

Her house was settled and fully furnished. The office was set up and the appropriate business legalities were all in place. She was stalling. Advertising for clients could happen this minute if she wanted it to. A plausible cover story was the only thing holding her back.

She was experiencing major writer’s block with life threatening implications if she couldn’t figure it out. Maybe that’s why it was such a big issue to begin with. First hand knowledge of what could happen with a slip up was impeding her progress. Not that she had been at fault in her last situation. She hadn’t but she could see how it would take only one innocent comment in the right place to ruin everything.

Truthfully? She was terrified.

How do you live a lie when you never have? This was her biggest fear, as she honestly thought about it, fear that she would forget, tell the truth and her cover would be blown all over again.

This whole thing could have been left in the hands of the authorities hiding her but there was danger of an unidentified leak like last time. No one could live with the possibility of it happening a second time.

Somehow, she had to come up with a story that felt true. True enough that even her new friends would accept it without question. True enough that she wouldn’t stumble in the telling.

Maybe she needed to approach this like a fiction writer creating a story. The emotionally detached perspective may work better for her, it was worth a try. Up to this point nothing else had worked.

Thinking about the many books she’d read it seemed common for parents, young or old, to die in horrific car crashes. Readers readily accepted that scenario. She could handle having her story sounding like that.

Only child seemed to be another common detail. It left the plot with enormous flexibility. Army brat with moves every two years would be useful in solving issues arising out of the “where are you from” question with all it’s pitfalls.

All alone in the world, from no particular place, could serve her well in avoiding dangerous fallout.

Bella could hardly wait for Monday morning to arrive. It was time to launch her new life.

Read and enjoyed, and a bargain, July 25, 2020

Special interest would be the best way to describe the two latest books read and enjoyed.

I appreciate the sensitive and thoughtful subject treatment in both books. The special interest aspect out weighed the story itself in some places but they were both good reads despite that.

Above All Things

Above all Things

They were on their way to being a real family…until she came into their lives.

Expecting their first baby, Judd and Evette McGlin are thrilled at the prospect of becoming parents. But their marriage faces the ultimate test when Judd learns he already has a child: a six-year-old bi-racial daughter, born amid secrets and lies. Now, Evette must decide if she can accept the child—and forgive Judd. She thought she was open-minded—until hidden prejudices threaten the future of an innocent little girl, Evette’s marriage, and the very notion of the woman she’s believed herself to be. Above all things, this child needs acceptance and love. Needs Evette to discover what being a mother truly means. Needs Judd to face his past. And needs them both to discover what it truly means to be a family.

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Spring Splash

Spring Splash

The heart of a champion may surprise you.

When an injury sidelines college swimmer Anna Callaway, her dreams are crushed. She pours herself into her sports marketing practicum, helping a local special needs organization promote their athletic event. What she doesn’t expect is a swim team ripe for the Special Olympics—and their handsome but stubborn coach.

Craig Holt has dealt with eager and ignorant volunteers before. No matter how determined or persuasive uptight Anna might be about coaching his team to the Special Olympics, he has no intention of allowing her to raise the hopes of his swimmers, his sister, or his guarded heart.

Then Anna herself gets a second chance at becoming a champion. Will she pursue her lifelong goals or make room for a new dream?

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Then there are two box sets to add to the list of recently finished reads.

Grant Us Grace Box Set: Books 1 – 5 (Elizabeth Maddrey Box Sets)

Grant us Grace

WISDOM TO KNOW (Book 1)

COURAGE TO CHANGE (Book 2)

SERENITY TO ACCEPT (Book 3)

JOINT VENTURE (Book 4)

PATHWAY TO PEACE (Book 5)

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The Spark Brothers Romance Collection

The Spark Brothers

A Single Spark (Book One):

A Sudden Spark (Book Two):

The Sweetest Spark (Book Three):

At First Spark (Book Four):

An Extra Spark (Book Five):

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I haven’t gone too far yet in my current read but I’ve always enjoyed Terri Blackstock. I think I’m close to half way in the first book and I expect to finish most of the collection. I say most because it is 1673 pages long.

The Newpointe 911 Collection: Private Justice, Shadow of Doubt, Word of Honor, Trial by Fire, Line of Duty

The Newpointe 911 collection

Private Justice

The firemen of Newpointe, LA, face a personal and terrifying trial: someone is murdering their wives, one by one.

Shadow of Doubt

A poisoned past. A bitter present. Is Celia a murderer … or a victim?

Word of Honor

What will it cost to keep a promise? Jill Clark learns the meaning of covenant when she is taken hostage by a suspect in a deadly bombing . . . but isn’t convinced he’s guilty.

Trial by Fire

A church building burns to the ground, and a young man is found dead of a gunshot wound. The mystery is just being ignited as God uses disaster to bring about his will.

Line of Duty

When a building collapses on several firemen, one is unaccounted for—was he really buried, or did he take the opportunity to flee from the problems in his life?

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I found another bargain collection by a long time favorite author. Five books for $4.99.

The Rock Harbor Mystery Collection: Without a Trace, Beyond a Doubt, Into the Deep, Cry in the Night, and Silent Night (Rock Harbor Series)

Rock Harbor collection

 

Without a Trace

Bree thinks a plane crash took the lives of her husband and young son, but her son Davy survived the accident. Can she find him before it’s too late?

Beyond a Doubt

Evidence of a violent crime in Bree’s basement causes police to re-open a cold case. Can she and her K-9 search dog, Samson, stop the killer before he strikes again?

Into the Deep

When Bree’s dog Samson goes missing, it’s just the beginning of her life turning upside down.

Cry in the Night

Bree and Samson discover a crying infant in the snowy Rock Harbor forest. But where are the baby’s parents? And how did she get there?

Silent Night

As Christmas day nears, Bree and her faithful search-and-rescue dog Samson follow the trail of a troubling mystery into the snowy forests of Rock Harbor.

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Happy Reading y’all

 

It’s not you it’s me. The tale of unfinished books.

I’m pretty sure it’s me not you (the authors). That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

It’s funny how interest, or lack of it, seems to go in waves. Sadly, the tidal wave of engagement is still out these days. I’m having trouble finding a book with a story that grips me. A highly disappointing state of affairs.

I’m pretty sure, though, the fault lies with me and whatever place I’m at emotionally. At least that’s what I’m guessing. I’m not necessarily finding anything disappointing with the writing style or the story premise.

Bottom line though… my reading list needs to be shorter. Let’s make that happen.

I'll Watch the MoonOnce Beyond a Time

The Birhday PortraitFaith House

The RunawayThe Christmas Bliss collection

The Secret of Pembrook ParkWhen You Come Home

 

Fatal AttractionComing Home

The Queen's DaughtersGrace & Lavender

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There were a few more slated for removal but they seemed to demand another chance. They have been moved to the top of the list again and we’ll see how it goes.

Twelve makes a good difference even though there are many more in the started but not read category.

Refreshing my memory before removal (in case I could be drawn in after all) I noticed a common response on my part to many of the unfinished books.

Triggers.

My childhood was difficult, to put it mildly, Acknowledging there is such a thing as triggers is a recent consideration for me. They explain so much and learning to recognize how specific childhood trauma could be behind the trigger (reaction) has been a freeing experience. I haven’t gotten very far in this learning exercise and it’s still a mystery to me what aspect of these books is causing the shut down reaction.  Maybe some things just hit a little too close to home.

Anyway, it’s nice to know the books deserve to be read.  It is just me.

I’m currently reading… a whole bunch. Hopefully I can settle on at least one of the four at the top!

It could be this one.

Above all Things

Happy Reading …

…on this warmish day. The promised heat has arrived, 31 C  – feels like 43 C (109.4 F) with the humidity.

I’m grateful for air conditioning.

Read and enjoyed, mid July Edition

There were a lot of box sets downloaded lately and I managed to make my through to the end on one of them. It makes me happy when that happens. It means they were a good read.

There are some singles to mention before we get to the set. This first one was one of my favorites. It is a serious story with a quirky sense of humor and a main character with the habit of standing up for herself where others would tip-toe around the moody man.

Henry by Sydney Paige McCutcheon

Henry

Book Synopsis: Sent to a small town outside Astoria, Oregon, Prue Collins is under the protection of the most unlikely guardian—rude and sarcastic, Ex-Officer Henry Clay wants nothing to do with his new roommate and doesn’t mask any hard feelings, only secrets. His wheelchair gives Prue a glimpse of his tragic past and she can’t fight curiosity as more clues come her way, opening her eyes to the true stranger she’s been sent to live with—and possibly, meant to help save. But the truth is like a loose string on an old shirt—pull at it, and the entire fabric could come undone. Will Prue leave well enough alone, or risk everything, even her own heart, to know the truth?

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Cold Shot (Chesapeake Valor Book #1)

Cold Shot

In college, Griffin McCray and his three best friends had their lives planned out. Griffin and Luke Gallagher would join the Baltimore PD. Declan Gray would head to the FBI and Parker Mitchell would go on to graduate school as a crime scene analyst. But then Luke vanished before graduation and their world–and friendships–crumbled.

Now Griffin is a park ranger at Gettysburg, having left life as a SWAT-team sniper when a case went bad. The job is mostly quiet–until the day he captures two relic hunters uncovering skeletal remains near Little Round Top. Griffin just wants the case to go away, but charming forensic anthropologist Finley Scott determines that the body is modern–a young social justice lawyer missing since spring–and all evidence points to the work of an expert sniper. When FBI agent Declan Gray takes over the case, past and present collide. Griffin soon realizes he’ll need to confront some of the darkest days of his life if he–and those he cares about–are going to escape a downward spiral of murder that crosses continents.

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Dance Over MeSpecial delivery

A January BrideLost Down Deep

Sandover Beach WeekHealing her heart

Hope Rising

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I’m currently reading (just started actually) one of Terri Blackstock’s series from the other day.

The Moonlighters Collection: Truth Stained Lies, Distortion, Twisted Innocence (Moonlighters Series) 

The Moonlighters collection

Truth Stained Lies

When truth doesn’t make sense, will lies prevail?

Distortion

A husband’s lies can have deadly consequences.

Twisted Innocence

Holly Cramer’s past choices have finally caught up to her, but she never expected them to endanger her baby.

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Happy Reading!

Free and bargain books July 20, 2020

It’s been a few days since we’ve downloaded any new books and it’s a nice surprise to see some today. BookBub has a FREE suggestion for us from an author enjoyed by many.

The Demise (A Braxton Mystery Book 1)

The Demise

Amazon quote:

Tiny Braxton, Tennessee, is a quiet, tight-knit community wrapped around an old town square just a stone’s throw from Nashville. But when the town’s most prominent citizen is found dead at the base of its water tower, news of Peter Lanham’s apparent suicide roars through town like a massive tsunami.

Peter, the handsome, beloved CEO of Lanham’s Fine Foods, had taken a small, family-owned grocery store founded in 1927, and grew it into a successful national chain. With most of Braxton’s residents employed by Lanham’s corporate headquarters, word of Peter’s demise left them searching for answers. What could possibly have made him take a swan dive off that tower?

Julie Parker is convinced he didn’t. As receptionist at Lanham’s executive office suite, she’s determined to find out what really happened to her boss. An aspiring actor who also stars as “The Lanham Girl” in the company’s TV commercials, Julie prides herself on her perceptive observations and people-skills. Who better to find out what happened to Peter up on that water tower?

Matt Bryson, on assignment as a rookie Special Agent for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, isn’t about to let the attractive receptionist intrude on his first case. She may be a hometown insider, but he’s perfectly capable of solving the case without “Miss Marple” screwing up his investigation.

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1531 Entertainment has a FREE suggestion.

Past Forward Volume 1

Past Forward Vol 1

Amazon quote:

Alone without friends or family to comfort her after the death of her mother, Willow Finley’s idyllic life is over—and just beginning.

When Willow Finley awakes on a hot summer morning, she is unprepared for the grief that awaits her. Jerked from a life of isolation with her mother, Willow learns what alone really means when she finds her mother still in her bed, never to awaken again in this life.

From the moment Willow arrives in the police station with her startling announcement, Chad Tesdall fights the friendship he knows he can’t avoid.

This collection of the first five episodes of Past Forward starts with Willow’s life-changing discovery and gently guides the reader through aspects of her life–the past weaving through the present and into the future. Experience her first morning in church, her first movie, and the culture shock of her first trips to the city. A birthday party and a street faire add welcome diversion from butchering, canning, and the beating of area rugs. Disaster strikes. Will she be able to continue her life, or will an offer in the city change it all? Find out in this first volume.

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Browsing; here is a bargain collection by another popular author. $0.99

Alaskan Refuge Christian Suspense Box Set (Books 1-3)

Alaskan Refuge Box set

Amazon quote:

Deep in the heart of Alaska, there’s more to fear than just the cold …

A woman hiding from the fatal mistakes of her past.

A sister rescuing her autistic little brother from the clutches of danger.

A mother confronting the demons in her past to rescue her kidnapped daughter.

 

 

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One more bargain collection. $1.31

Betwixt Two Hearts (Crossroads Collection) 

Betwixt two hearts

Amazon quote:

Betwixt Two Hearts by Amanda Tru
With control of their dating website the prize, Bailey and Camden embark on a matchmaking competition that snags on unexpected results. All is fair in a contest of love. May the best matchmaker win.

The Swedehearts Glory Quilt by Cathe Swanson
Eleanor ran away to find herself. David knew exactly where he wanted to go. Could a matchmaking agency put them on the same map?

Whole Latte Love by Kari Trumbo
Misguided Drew thinks all quiet women hide harmful secrets. While pretty, new best friend Addi’s soft-spoken nature reminds him too much of past hurts to move their relationship forward. Can a matchmaking agency change his heart?

Seoul Refuge by Alana Terry
Caroline is a new believer, excited and passionate about her faith. Calvin is a Boston police detective, an atheist who can hardly believe Christians have brainwashed his wife. Caroline just wants to follow God. Calvin just wants his wife back.

Guardian of Her Heart by Carol Moncado
Signed up for a dating service by friends and brought together by a stowaway cat, Mark and Casey must decide if they want to overcome their apparent incompatibilities or go their separate ways.

Random Acts of Shyness by Chautona Havig
Heath’s sister, Selby, has laid down the law. It’s time to let her take over his love life. After a series of first and only dates, Heath embarks on her new scheme to help him overcome the debilitating nervous habit that has plagued him all his life. However, between dates, each worse than the last, he tries one more time to do things his way… sort of.

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Currently, I’m reading and enjoying book 2 in a box set that is still a bargain at $1.34

The Hope Rising Series Box Set

Hope Rising

River’s Edge
How does a successful businessman end up with nothing but the clothes on his back and all his worldly possessions shoved into a bag? That’s the question Ben Tarbett asks himself time and again. When his world falls apart, Ben finds himself calling the banks of the Brisbane River home – a vastly different view to the one he had when working from a highrise in the heart of the city. Sheltering from the elements, and relying on food handouts, he longs for the day when he can once again have a roof over his head and be the father his daughter needs him to be.

Valley’s Reach
It’s been two years since Brad Rowland witnessed an accident that changed his life forever. Two years of trying to escape the images that constantly haunt his dreams. Two years of finding comfort in the bottom of a bottle and pushing people away. His life is consumed with guilt and angst. No one understands his pain, and it’s better that way.

Receiving Treetops Bed & Breakfast as a gift from her aunt gave Eve McNeal the perfect excuse to escape the hectic pace of city life and the loneliness that has consumed her for so long. Amid the rainforest, she is free to tend to her guests and deal with the guilt of putting her mother with Alzheimer’s in a care facility. By offering hospitality to others, she is free to be herself and ignore the deep hurt she carries from a childhood injury that left her with visible scars.

Ocean’s Drift
Shame and guilt follow Vanessa Silverton everywhere. A preacher’s kid, she rebelled from her parent’s faith years ago and has since lived with the consequences of making one wrong decision after the other. After one fateful night, she severs all contact with her friends and flees to the Sunshine Coast, longing to leave her past far behind. She escapes to a quaint coastal town finding work in a beachside cafe in an attempt to start afresh where no one knows her name or the past that haunts her dreams. But life doesn’t always go to plan, and soon her past catches up with her in a way she never anticipated.

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Happy Reading …

… from a distracted blogger.

I left my computer needing to refresh my memory on the title of my current read.  The intention was to grab my Kindle and return to the blog. I’m not sure how it happened but I noticed a spill on the kitchen floor that I just had to investigate and clean up. My stomach growled and I remembered my plan for a dish of ice-cream. I cannot eat ice-cream without reading, of course. A few chapters later my thoughts turned to the plants in the living room needing water. I’d best do it now before I turn in for the night, not leave it again for another day.

Walking past the computer – Oh no. I was in the middle of a blog post.

I have now refreshed my memory on the current read, finished the blog post (almost) and will water the plants before turning out the lights. Unless I forget and read a few more chapters first. It’s been known to happen.

What was I doing again?

Random thoughts for July 18, 2020

This is a random thoughts, no books, kind of day. It was good in so many ways.

It started early, to make the hour trip into the city in time to meet up with the rest of our writers group. An impromptu picnic in a beautiful and popular park was the plan. With covid, it’s been a long time since we last met, the first Saturday in February in fact. The extroverts among us couldn’t bear to wait any longer and so, The Picnic.

Usually at an event like this we have pot luck lunches, we bring all sorts of interesting dishes to contribute to the meal.

We behaved well during this social distancing time. Most of us just brought a sandwich and a drink of some sort. Betty, the lady I traveled with, was highly disappointed with the food situation. She likes things to be an event not the ho hum I could do this at home routine.

By the time it was over she had forgotten her thoughts on food and was reliving the good time we had visiting with friends of like mind. Not everyone in our life gets our love for writing. Sometimes we forget and fail to appreciate how much encouragement we gain from time spent with our writer friends. The aftermath of Covid has been a good reminder for us.

We  (Betty and I) don’t see each other all that often even though we live in the same small city, and it was nice to catch up on the drive to and from. When I dropped her off we said our good byes suggesting we should do lunch sometime.

Sometime came sooner than expected. Her coffee mug was left in my car and that had her dropping by to retrieve it.

The forgetting turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

For some reason it felt like a downer when I got home after the day away. I was tired and feeling crummy. Blaming it on the early morning I took a nap that made only a marginal difference. It wasn’t too long after my nap there was a phone call about the neglected and forgotten coffee mug.

Sometimes it pays to go ahead and do things even when desire is not there.

With minimal enthusiasm on my part we went on an adventure to find somewhere interesting to have supper. Neither of us go out for meals all that often so we have no clue about where’s a good place to go.

We tried one new place everyone was talking about but it was take out only. Not what we needed. There was one more place we had both heard about and hoped they had inside seating and no line ups.

The pizza at the golf course’s new restaurant was delicious and the view of the golf greens next to our patio table added to the ambiance.

I think our outlook on life had improved considerably with the experience. We seemed to be in agreement on that.

It was a wonderful day all the way around and now group plans are underway to meet next month too.

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Well, there were no new books today but there’s no shortage of reading material with all the offerings we’ve had lately.

I’m almost finished Cold Shot and it’s still a bargain. I think it’s worth the $1.99.

I learned something new with this book. Cold shot is sniper terminology and you have to be good to pull it off. Not sure this will be useful info but it is new.

Cold Shot

In college, Griffin McCray and his three best friends had their lives planned out. Griffin and Luke Gallagher would join the Baltimore PD. Declan Gray would head to the FBI and Parker Mitchell would go on to graduate school as a crime scene analyst. But then Luke vanished before graduation and their world–and friendships–crumbled.

Now Griffin is a park ranger at Gettysburg, having left life as a SWAT-team sniper when a case went bad. The job is mostly quiet–until the day he captures two relic hunters uncovering skeletal remains near Little Round Top. Griffin just wants the case to go away, but charming forensic anthropologist Finley Scott determines that the body is modern–a young social justice lawyer missing since spring–and all evidence points to the work of an expert sniper. When FBI agent Declan Gray takes over the case, past and present collide. Griffin soon realizes he’ll need to confront some of the darkest days of his life if he–and those he cares about–are going to escape a downward spiral of murder that crosses continents.

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

I may go to a lighter read next. It’s still a bargain too, at $0.99

A January Bride (A Year of Weddings Novella Book 2)

A January Bride

What will happen when novelist Madeleine Houser’s “pen pal” friendship with a lonely widower takes an unexpected turn?

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Sorry I didn’t get any pictures of our day.

I always mean to but get talking and forget.

One of these times…

I’m just happy I managed to find something to say after all.

I hope you had a good day too.

Happy Reading!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Free and bargain books July 16, 2020

BookBub has a FREE suggestion for us by a popular author.

Above All Things 

Above all Things

Amazon quote:

They were on their way to being a real family…until she came into their lives.

Expecting their first baby, Judd and Evette McGlin are thrilled at the prospect of becoming parents. But their marriage faces the ultimate test when Judd learns he already has a child: a six-year-old bi-racial daughter, born amid secrets and lies. Now, Evette must decide if she can accept the child—and forgive Judd. She thought she was open-minded—until hidden prejudices threaten the future of an innocent little girl, Evette’s marriage, and the very notion of the woman she’s believed herself to be. Above all things, this child needs acceptance and love. Needs Evette to discover what being a mother truly means. Needs Judd to face his past. And needs them both to discover what it truly means to be a family.

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Browsing through her other books I came across this interesting looking bargain. $1.24

Special delivery

Amazon quote:

Lily O’Neal’s thriving at-home bakery means working alone in her state-of-the-art kitchen, so how’s she ever supposed to meet the man of her dreams? But when delivery truck driver, Gage Simmons, shows up at her door—crooked grin and all—she can’t help making sure he has a reason to return…even if it means ordering her supplies one at a time.

 

 

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One more interesting bargain $0.99 this time.

A January Bride (A Year of Weddings Novella Book 2)

A January Bride

Amazon quote:

What will happen when novelist Madeleine Houser’s “pen pal” friendship with a lonely widower takes an unexpected turn?

Who can work in a house that’s overrun by contractors and carpenters? Not Madeleine Houser, a successful novelist who gladly accepts the help of her octogenarian friend, Ginny, to arrange for a temporary office in the charming bed and breakfast owned by Ginny’s friend, Arthur. Maddie’s never met the innkeeper—but a friendship grows between them as Maddie and Arthur leave messages for each other each day. To Maddie’s alternate delight and chagrin, she seems to be falling for the inn’s owner—a man who’s likely many years her senior—and who she’s never even met.

Arthur Tyler is a college professor who lost his young wife to cancer. Together they ran the bed and breakfast where Art lives, but without his wife, the house is missing warmth and cheer. He jumps at the chance to have author Madeleine Houser use the space that was once filled with guests. He, too, begins to enjoy the daily exchanges with Maddie, but a series of misunderstandings lead him to believe she’s far from being a prospective date—even if he were ready to date again, which he’s not.

When Maddie and Art finally meet and discover one another’s identity, sparks fly. Even so, they each have obstacles to overcome in order for this winter romance to blossom.

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I’m currently reading one of the mysteries downloaded the other day. I’m only a few chapters in so it’s a bit early to tell but I’m feeling still intrigued. It’s still a bargain at $1.99

Cold Shot (Chesapeake Valor Book #1)

Cold Shot

Amazon quote:

In college, Griffin McCray and his three best friends had their lives planned out. Griffin and Luke Gallagher would join the Baltimore PD. Declan Gray would head to the FBI and Parker Mitchell would go on to graduate school as a crime scene analyst. But then Luke vanished before graduation and their world–and friendships–crumbled.

Now Griffin is a park ranger at Gettysburg, having left life as a SWAT-team sniper when a case went bad. The job is mostly quiet–until the day he captures two relic hunters uncovering skeletal remains near Little Round Top. Griffin just wants the case to go away, but charming forensic anthropologist Finley Scott determines that the body is modern–a young social justice lawyer missing since spring–and all evidence points to the work of an expert sniper. When FBI agent Declan Gray takes over the case, past and present collide. Griffin soon realizes he’ll need to confront some of the darkest days of his life if he–and those he cares about–are going to escape a downward spiral of murder that crosses continents.

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

Well, it was quite a day for my car (I mentioned this morning’s 8 a.m. appointment yesterday) I’m sure all the poking and prodding was a shock to his system. (My car is not delicate and fragile, it’s heavy, strong, and able to take on challenges, I’m sure it’s a he.)

(At least I haven’t named him, yet.)

Not only did he have to live through an oil change and all that entails, there was more, all first time experiences. A transmission service, rear differential service, transfer case service, and a flush of the brake system.  Sounds like a shocking experience to me.

I haven’t decided if I should be happy or sad that life has had reason to acquaint me with many of the important moving parts on a car. For today I’ll feel happy. At least I knew what they were talking about when they listed all the things that needed to happen at this mileage.

On the bright side it took 8 years to get to this point. Not too shabby. Best of all though, there shouldn’t be any time spent sitting on the side of the road. Been there done that.

We’ll leave those stories for another day while I bask in today’s happy feelings. Life is good.

Happy Reading y’all.

Bargain books July 14, 2020 – part two

Someone on Facebook mentioned a good deal on Terri Blackstock’s books. Terri is one of my longtime favorite authors. She has several series on special and I’m gong to check them out. Here is the first one, three books at $4.99. 

The If I Run Series: If I Run, If I’m Found, If I Live

If I run series

Amazon quote:

If I Run

Casey knows the truth. But it won’t set her free.

Casey Cox’s DNA is all over the crime scene. There’s no use talking to police; they’ve failed her abysmally before. She has to flee before she’s arrested . . . or worse. The truth doesn’t matter anymore.

But what is the truth? That’s the question haunting Dylan Roberts, the war-weary veteran hired to find Casey. PTSD has marked him damaged goods, but bringing Casey back can redeem him. Though the crime scene seems to tell the whole story, details of the murder aren’t adding up.

Casey Cox doesn’t fit the profile of a killer. But are Dylan’s skewed perceptions keeping him from being objective? If she isn’t guilty, why did she run?

Unraveling her past and the evidence that condemns her will take more time than he has, but as Dylan’s damaged soul intersects with hers, he is faced with two choices: the girl who occupies his every thought is a psychopathic killer . . . or a selfless hero. And the truth could be the most deadly weapon yet.

If I’m Found

In this riveting sequel to the USA TODAY bestseller If I Run, evil lurks, drawing Casey out of the shadows . . . but there is light shining in the darkness.

Casey Cox is still on the run, fleeing prosecution for a murder she didn’t commit. Dylan Roberts—her most relentless pursuer—is still on her trail, but his secret emails insist he knows the truth and wants to help her. He’s let her escape before when he had her in his grasp, but trust doesn’t come easily.

As Casey works to collect evidence about the real murderers, she stumbles on another unbearable injustice: an abused child and a suicidal man who’s also been falsely accused. Casey risks her own safety to right this wrong and protect the little girl from her tormenters. But doing so is risky and may result in her capture—and if she’s captured, she has no doubt she’ll be murdered before she ever steps foot in a jail cell.

If I Live

The hunt is almost over.

Casey Cox is still on the run after being indicted for murder. The hunt that began with her bloody footprints escalates, and she’s running out of places to hide. Her face is all over the news, and her disguises are no longer enough. It’s only a matter of time before someone recognizes her.

Dylan Roberts, the investigator who once hunted her, is now her only hope. Terrifying attempts on Dylan’s life could force Casey out of hiding. The clock is ticking on both their lives, but exposing the real killers is more complicated than they knew. Amassing the evidence to convict their enemies draws Dylan and Casey together, but their relationship has consequences. Will one life have to be sacrificed to protect the other?

With If I Live, Terri Blackstock takes us on one more heart-stopping chase in the sensational conclusion to the If I Run series.

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I can’t resist three more Blackstock collections at $4.99 each

The Newpointe 911 Collection: Private Justice, Shadow of Doubt, Word of Honor, Trial by Fire, Line of Duty 

The Newpointe 911 collection

Amazon quote:

Private Justice

The firemen of Newpointe, LA, face a personal and terrifying trial: someone is murdering their wives, one by one.

Shadow of Doubt

A poisoned past. A bitter present. Is Celia a murderer … or a victim?

Word of Honor

What will it cost to keep a promise? Jill Clark learns the meaning of covenant when she is taken hostage by a suspect in a deadly bombing . . . but isn’t convinced he’s guilty.

Trial by Fire

A church building burns to the ground, and a young man is found dead of a gunshot wound. The mystery is just being ignited as God uses disaster to bring about his will.

Line of Duty

When a building collapses on several firemen, one is unaccounted for—was he really buried, or did he take the opportunity to flee from the problems in his life?

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The Moonlighters Collection: Truth Stained Lies, Distortion, Twisted Innocence (Moonlighters Series)

The Moonlighters collection

Amazon quote:

Truth Stained Lies

When truth doesn’t make sense, will lies prevail?

Distortion

A husband’s lies can have deadly consequences.

Twisted Innocence

Holly Cramer’s past choices have finally caught up to her, but she never expected them to endanger her baby.

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The Cape Refuge Collection: Cape Refuge, Southern Storm, River’s Edge, Breaker’s Reef (Cape Refuge Series)

The Cape Refuge Collection

Amazon quote:

Cape Refuge

When Thelma and Wayne Owens are found murdered in the warehouse where they held their church services, their son-in-law Jonathan is arrested for the crime—but his wife Morgan and her sister Blair, Thelma and Wayne’s daughters, are confident that he didn’t do it and set out to find the real killer. 

Southern Storm

Police Chief Cade disappears after hitting and killing a man with his car.  Without a trace, without a note, without taking clothes or his car or money—he is gone.  When a witness says she saw Cade getting into a blue Buick with a woman before his disappearance, the newspapers report that Cade left town to be with her.  But Blair Owens believes something has happened to Cade, and she’s determined to find him.

River’s Edge

Mayoral candidate Ben Jackson seems to have the election locked.  But when Jackson’s wife turns up murdered, things begin to shift.  Was this the act of a jealous lover? A dangerous client? Or is this all about the election?

Breaker’s Reef

A teenage girl is found murdered, and the scene matches one in a book by a famous mystery writer who just moved to the island. This murder has a connection to Hanover House—and the residents there might never be the same.

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There is one more is calling my name. A single book at $1.99

Cold Shot (Chesapeake Valor Book #1)

Cold Shot

Amazon quote:

In college, Griffin McCray and his three best friends had their lives planned out. Griffin and Luke Gallagher would join the Baltimore PD. Declan Gray would head to the FBI and Parker Mitchell would go on to graduate school as a crime scene analyst. But then Luke vanished before graduation and their world–and friendships–crumbled.

Now Griffin is a park ranger at Gettysburg, having left life as a SWAT-team sniper when a case went bad. The job is mostly quiet–until the day he captures two relic hunters uncovering skeletal remains near Little Round Top. Griffin just wants the case to go away, but charming forensic anthropologist Finley Scott determines that the body is modern–a young social justice lawyer missing since spring–and all evidence points to the work of an expert sniper. When FBI agent Declan Gray takes over the case, past and present collide. Griffin soon realizes he’ll need to confront some of the darkest days of his life if he–and those he cares about–are going to escape a downward spiral of murder that crosses continents.

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This is a PILE of books but I had to grab them quick before they disappear. I’ve not seen this great price for these authors in a long while.

Happy Reading y’all

 

 

 

 

 

Free and bargain books July 11, 2020

BookBub has a bargain suggestion for us this morning. $0.99 This is not an author I’ve read before so don’t know what to expect. I’m an eternal optimist when it comes to books, always hoping for the best.

Sandover Beach Week (Sandover Island Sweet Romance Book 2)

Sandover Beach Week

Amazon quote:

Emily is still reeling from her failed modeling career and her wealthy parents’ disappointment in her life choices. A girls’ trip to the beach seems like the perfect escape to reflect on her past and plan her next steps. But her biggest regret just so happens to live on Sandover Island–Jimmy, an old friend whose heart she broke years before.

What he never knew is that saying goodbye to him shattered her heart as well.

When Jimmy’s fire station gets a call for an emergency rescue, the last person he expects to find in danger is his childhood crush, Emily. Seeing her again forces him to confront old wounds even as fresh new feelings begin to bloom. She destroyed his heart once. Can he possibly trust her with it again?

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BookRunes has a FREE suggestion for us this morning. Another new-to-me author and I have no idea what to expect this time either. I’m hoping it’s good.

The Reckless Doctor’s Bride: Historical Western Mail Order Bride Romance (Montana Westward Brides Book 1)

The Reckless Doctor's Bride

Amazon quote:

She knew the West was wild. But this bride-to-be didn’t expect her fate to include murder…

Irish beauty Lucy Magee fears she’ll never shake her bad luck. As though to prove her right, a trip to Montana to meet a dashing doctor results in the accidental death of her coach driver. But when the mail-order bride finally sets sight on her potential husband’s kind face, she’s sure her fortunes have turned.

Dr. Sam Slater wants to become a good provider. And when his heart races upon meeting Lucy, he knows she’s absolutely the one for him. But their first courting picnic ends in tragedy when they discover his ranch shepherd’s dead body.

When Lucy begins receiving anonymous threats, she’s petrified her persistent misfortune followed her to the rugged country. And despite cooperating with the sheriff, Dr. Sam comes no closer to understanding who is forcing them off the land.

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Nothing else interesting is popping out at me so I’m off to the garden and the pile of work I have plans for accomplishing on this beautiful sunny day.

My current read is dragging. I want to see how it ends but it is a little painful getting there.

Lost Down Deep

I think next I’ll try a book that seems a little weird with my first taste of it. I’ll give it a try and send it packing if it doesn’t work out for me. The collection of books barely started and not pursued is growing and needs weeding out again. I do hope this one turns into a good read though. I’ll let you know what happens.

Henry

Happy Reading on a beautiful Saturday.

Read & Enjoyed, and one bargain. July 10, 2020

This first one was a quick read. Several hours from beginning to end, which was nice as I was only taking a break from the book I was really reading. This story has depth and was fresh and engaging, my favorite parts. I just noticed (it seems I had forgotten) there were 252 pages. It went by so fast it doesn’t seem possible. It was good anyway.

Small Town Billionaire: (Sweet Home Billionaires Book 1)

Small town billionaire

A billionaire looking for a change and a woman who wants nothing to do with him. Can he convince her that he’s more than money?

Hudson Jennings wants to get away from the world of business his father is trying to trap him in. He’s seen what it’s done to his family, and to his ailing mother. Why not buy a house in a small town and move far away from it all?

Shannon Kendrick is graduating college after six long years of putting herself through school and working at a country club. She’s ready to start her career and help people that are less fortunate. When she meets a guy who has it all and he’s rude to her, she chalks it up to being a rich, entitled, son of a billionaire.

When Hudson needs to host an event, he is paired with Shannon to make the necessary preparations. She can’t stand the sight of him, but her spunky personality and determination to do the right thing sparks a light in Hudson that he hasn’t known before. He wants to know more about her, but he also wants to protect her from the life he leads.

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This next one was a favorite read too. There was an unusual slant to the story and it was awesome.

Aiming for Love (Brides of Hope Mountain Book #1)

Aiming for Love

Josephine Nordegren is one of three sisters who grew up nearly wild in southwestern Colorado. She has the archery skills of Robin Hood and the curiosity of the Little Mermaid, fascinated by but locked away from the forbidden outside world–a world she’s been raised to believe killed her parents. When David Warden, a rancher, brings in a herd much too close to the girls’ secret home, her older sister especially is frightened, but Jo is too interested to stay away.

David’s parents follow soon on his heels, escaping bandits at their ranch. David’s father is wounded and needs shelter. Josephine and her sisters have the only cabin on the mountain. Do they risk stepping into the world to help those in need? Or do they remain separated but safe in the peaks of Hope Mountain?

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I’m currently 2/3 of the way through reading this next book. I took a little break to read the first book (above) but will finish this one for sure. Things are not staying bargains for any great length of time it seems. This is the third one in a row to be back at full price.

Lost Down Deep (The Mosaic Collection) (The Rose Tattoo Trilogy Book 1)

Lost Down Deep

She is the only one who can tell the police who attacked her in her home.
If only she could remember …
Summer Velasquez is on the run from a man she has no recollection of after an attack she can’t recall.
Every face in the crowd is a potential suspect, so how is Summer supposed to know who is a threat to her and who isn’t?
After fleeing her assailant and the parents who lied to her about what happened, she changes her name and seeks refuge in Elora, Ontario. The small town feels familiar, although she has no memory of ever having been here.
Even in what should be a safe place, she can’t shake the feeling that she is being watched.
When Ryan Taylor strolls into the Taste of Heaven Café where she works, Summer is immediately drawn to him. However, he may not be who he says he is either. As her suspicions grow, Summer prepares to run again.
But at least one person is determined to stop her. Permanently. And if she can’t remember who he is, this time he may succeed.

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One new book is a bargain at a $1.39. Things change so fast I figured it would be a good plan to snap it up. I’ve read one other book by this author and enjoyed her sense of humor. I look forward to seeing what this one will be like.

Will of Steel

Will of Steel

When the truth behind her husband’s death comes to light, Jordan will need strength as strong as steel to survive.
Jordan Regent finds herself a widow, running her husband’s steel business. One night while sorting through her husband’s things she discovers a secret that threatens her future. As her life unravels, Jordan must hold on to her faith and fight to survive.
Ryder Foster is a lawyer who offers to help with her husband’s business as well as personal affairs. As they search for the truth behind her husband’s death, their attraction to each other creates complications and the threat to Jordan increases. Will Ryder be able to help her face the threat and will Jordan be able to let go of the past?

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Well, this post turned into something more than expected. I felt like I had nothin’ to start with.

A new book too, how great is that.

Now if I had been ready to hit publish before midnight while it was still the 10th…

Happy Reading!