I’m feeling inspired today. That’s a big change. I’ve been doing lots of reading but, you know how it is sometimes, everything looks pretty much the same. What’s to talk about anyway.

I did discover an author new-to-me a few days ago- that was exciting. David Baldacci. He writes thrillers with many unexpected twists and turns, I love that. His books are also well written and easy to read.

I didn’t purchase this as it came from a well stocked library in my new apartment building. How great is that? A Library! In the building!

Not only was I reading a new (to me) author but I was back to holding an actual book. Never thought I’d see the day that I’d go back to reading small print and liking it.

This is the first of two books I read in the series. For sure I will be going back for more.

Who would think that you could like a professional killer? Really? I liked this guy.

The Innocent (Will Robie Book 1)

America’s best hitman was hired to kill–but when a D.C. government operation goes horribly wrong, he must rescue a teenage runaway and investigate her parents’ murders in this #1 New York Times bestselling thriller.

It begins with a hit gone wrong. Robie is dispatched to eliminate a target unusually close to home in Washington, D.C. But something about this mission doesn’t seem right to Robie, and he does the unthinkable. He refuses to pull the trigger. Now, Robie becomes a target himself and is on the run.

Fleeing the scene, Robie crosses paths with a wayward teenage girl, a fourteen-year-old runaway from a foster home. But she isn’t an ordinary runaway–her parents were murdered, and her own life is in danger. Against all of his professional habits, Robie rescues her and finds he can’t walk away. He needs to help her. Even worse, the more Robie learns about the girl, the more he’s convinced she is at the center of a vast cover-up, one that may explain her parents’ deaths and stretch to unimaginable levels of power.

Now, Robie may have to step out of the shadows in order to save this girl’s life…and perhaps his own.

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So before I go, I guess I should talk about the book that started this whole exercise today. It was a suggestion from BookBub and when I read the blurb I couldn’t resist. It sounds new and exciting and I have to check it out.

A Day Ago: Prequel to the Mylas Grey Mystery Series (Mylas Grey Mysteries)

He isn’t prepared for the situation . . .
Mylas always thought the owner of the McKinney Law Firm, where he’s employed, would outlive him, so when the owner suffers a fatal heart attack, Mylas suddenly faces an uncertain future, his hope of a partnership shattered.

He isn’t prepared for the consequences . . .
When Mylas learns he’s mentioned in the will, he expects to receive a small token of appreciation for his years of service to the firm, but then, when everyone assembles to hear the reading of the will, things take a bizarre turn with unexpected consequences.

He isn’t prepared for the danger . . .
Before his world started spinning out of control, Mylas was searching for a killer, the person who strangled the wife of his client. As he gets closer to identifying the murderer, he suddenly realizes his investigation has put his own life in danger.

And then, there’s the distraction . . .
While Mylas is searching for the killer, an old friend shows up, someone Mylas hopes will be the special lady who completes his life and breaks his cycle of bad relationships.

With an introduction like that I’m hoping it will deliver.

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One more suggestion from BookBub before I go.

Cottage by the Sea: A Novel (Hideaway Book 3)

Erin Bryce and her best friend, Sharlene, count the day they start their wedding planning business as a very happy day. So much so that they name their company The Happiest Day to reflect the fulfillment of their long-held dream as well as their clients’ longing for a wedding celebration to match the exhilaration of being in love. As a bonus, the two women utilize their business to help Erin’s son Jordan and his fiancée, Sierra, plan a grand wedding.

But the two friends aren’t prepared for the cloud moving in to cover the sunny, successful start of their business. Erin’s father, who lives in a small coastal Oregon community with his brusque, downright odd second wife, Delores, develops a medical problem that puts him in the hospital. Erin responds by rushing from Southern California to her father’s—and oh, yeah, Delores’s—cottage by the sea.

What greets Erin when she arrives sends her tumbling down a bewildering path to a different kind of happiest day. Her journey tosses her through highs and lows of hurt and healing, betrayal and renewal, wrong assumptions righted, and the brightest future one could ever hope for. All just around the corner, at the cottage by the sea.

This has been a good day

It’s time for the second lot of books from yesterday, as promised. I’m wondering how many of you could be interested in a western theme? Romance on the ranch with cowboys and horses. Probably cattle too.

Maybe even a few bull riders and rodeo champions. Girls flock to the super stars they say. Good looking, fit ranch hands would be popular around town too.

I’m hoping you like cowboys because we have 12 books between these two collections. What could be better than that?

I’m pretty sure several of these stories have showed up in other collections. It’s like a sneak to know this will be a good read.

It’s All About Cowboys: Six sweet cowboy romances (Cowboy Crossing Romances sets Book 1)

• Book 1: Show Me a Marriage of Convenience
  An ex-player cowboy with a little son, the boy’s shy plus-size aunt, and a reluctant modern marriage of convenience only the boy is excited about…

• Book 2: Show Me a Second Chance
  A single-dad cowboy, a woman with a secret who left him, and a second chance at love neither of them expects…

• Book 3: Show Me the Boss
  When a weeklong cowboy with a son becomes the three-day boss of an outspoken plus-size veterinarian, these opposites might attract-or combust.

• Book 4: Show Me Best Friends
  A “steel cowboy” with a wounded spirit, an ex-cop who’s never forgotten him, and a baby in need of love… Can these childhood best friends become more?

• Book 5: Show Me My Brother’s Best Friend
  A woman in jeopardy and her brother’s best friend she’d once crushed on meet again before Christmas… When the past comes knocking on her door, will she choose love or closure?

• Book 6: Show Me a Family for Christmas
  A brokenhearted widower with a sad daughter. A secret bodyguard working as a nanny. Can they become an unlikely family this Christmas?

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It’s All About Cowboys Too: Six more sweet cowboy romances (Cowboy Crossing Romances sets Book 2

• Book 1: Show Me a Mistaken Identity
  Can a fun-loving cowboy with a precocious daughter and a guarded woman with a mistaken identity find a path to happiness together?

• Book 2: Show Me a Fake Fiancé
  Can a fake engagement become real for a single-father cowboy and a brokenhearted single mom?

• Book 3: Show Me a Stand-in Husband
  Can an accidental marriage between a rebellious cowgirl and a straitlaced single-dad doctor grow into true love?

• Book 4: Show Me a Reunion
  When a reunion of childhood best friends leads to a marriage of convenience, can it lead to love, too?

• Book 5: Show Me a Family Saga
  A busy matriarch and a risk-loving younger man with a secret… Can his granddaughter in need bring these opposites together?

• Book 6: Show Me a Fake Engagement
  A rock star, a social worker, and a teen in need of a family. Can their pretend relationship become real?

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I’m loving my current read and must share it with you. It’s not about cowboys but it is about complex macho men. This book lives up to the hype and I may even finish it tonight.

Safe Haven: A Sweet Small Town Romance (The Protectors Book 1)

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ “This series is hard to put down! Lots of drama, love, and laughter.”

Fans of Netflix’s Virgin River series and Sweet Magnolias will love this small-town, feel-good romance!

Hayley Elliott’s sister has found a cure for Alzheimer’s and their mom is living proof that the supplement works. To keep everyone safe, Hayley has to return to Montana. But she can only do that with help from Tank—a man who’s living with a secret more heartbreaking than her own.

Tank has spent his life protecting people. He works for one of the most successful security companies in the world, makes more money than most people see in a lifetime, and has a past no one can ever know about.

With more at stake than their own lives, Tank and Hayley have to decide what is more important—protecting the past or risking everything for love.

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A conversation with a friend has jump started my attention to blog posts. I shared with her that I was downloading books without the courtesy of sharing them with you all. That old discouragement thing that lies to us has been plaguing me saying Nobody cares. Why bother.

I’m feeling like bothering so here we go. So far in March there have been 17 + downloads, one of them today. I’m currently reading yesterday’s new one. There was one early in the month that I haven’t been able to get into. It’s on hold but I will speed through it soon. The rest I’ve read.

Some of them feel like I’ve read them before but I can’t find the evidence to back up that thought. It’s possible that someone took the bones of another and added new clothes. Entirely possible. I did enjoy most of them though.

There are so many that I will share covers only this time.

Had to add one from February just to even them out.

It has been a good month with unexpectedly great books showing up. I’ve even been introduced to new-to-me authors that I would love to have visit me again.

If the reviews are true, this will be an amazing read. I’m on board to give it a try.

Isle of Shadows (The Seven Wonders Novels Book 1) 

Enslaved in an Ancient World of Money and Power, Tessa Dares to be Free.

Raised as a courtesan to wealthy and powerful men, Tessa of Delos serves at the whim of the corrupt politician, Glaucus, on the opulent isle of Rhodes.


Ten years have passed since she was forsaken by both the gods and her mother. To survive, Tessa abandons any desire for freedom or love, choosing instead to lock her heart away.

But when Glaucus meets a violent death, Tessa grasps at a fragile hope.


Only she knows of his death.


And if she can keep the explosive secret long enough, she can escape.


But time is running out. Another treacherous politician emerges from the shadows, in a bid to seize power over Rhodes.

And this one is claiming Tessa for himself.

What will freedom cost her?

I like it when new authors show up in the daily suggestion emails. The possibility of another great contributor to our reading experience is exciting.

With a little sleuthing I found that this author is not only new to us but she is also new to the writing world. Four published books. An awesome accomplishment. By all accounts it’s not easy to break into the publishing world so kudos are richly deserved.

Glazed Suspicion (Love and Danger in St. Claire Book 1)

After escaping a life marred by crime, Nicole Appleton flees to small town Saint Claire and starts a business of her own. She still craves forgiveness and maybe a family, but could anyone love her once they discover she sugar-coated her past?

When sheriff’s deputy, Josh Bennet, arrives on the scene of a break-in at the local doughnut shop, he finds evidence incriminating his not-so-secret-crush. Is the fair beauty being framed or is she the mastermind trafficking drugs through his hometown? When things turn deadly, Josh must discover who the real villain is before it’s too late. And he’s praying that it’s not her.

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That’s it for now.

Could be more later.

As promised, we are going for book 2 in the series that kept me up reading last night. Good job it is a short read too.

The main characters in this book played a big role in book 1 and I’m pretty sure they will not disappoint us in this one.

As well as this book there is also another good suggestion from this author and it’s regular length. It looks pretty tempting to me so it’s been added to my pile too.

.Here first is book 2 in the Honeyhaven series.

A Honey of a Christmas: A Honeyhaven Romance (The Honeyhaven Series Book 2)

They say opposites attract; it’ll take a Christmas miracle to keep this couple from killing one another!

Agnes Piercy is finally going to make her mark now that she’s in charge of the Honeyhaven Winter Wonderland. She’s created a new event this year—Santa’s Village—which will bring in tons of tourists and money for charities and church ministries, and secure her a full client list when she opens up her own event planning business. But things go haywire from the get-go, including her feelings for one Tuck Renner.

Tuck Renner has been tasked (against his will) with building the Santa’s Village which means taking orders from Miss Bossy Pants herself—Agnes Piercy. Sadly, she’s off to a seriously rocky start. Feeling sorry for her, and a lot sorry for himself having to hear about it day in and out, he vows to make this the greatest event ever. Except nothing goes as planned. But everything may end up exactly like it was meant to.

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And then the full length novel

Fatal Reunion (Love Inspired Suspense) 

To catch a ruthless criminal, a detective must learn to trust the woman who broke his heart in this suspenseful tale of romance, faith and forgiveness.

When her beloved grandmother is almost killed during a home invasion, Piper Kennedy isn’t surprised to find out she’s a suspect—especially with Luke Ransom is on the case. The handsome detective Piper once loved is convinced she’s hiding something. Given her crooked past—not to mention the way she was forced to betray him years ago—he has little reason to trust her.

But when attempts are made on Piper’s life, Luke will do anything to keep her safe. Working together to find out who wants her dead, they soon discover that the feelings they once shared are still very much alive. But it will take all their trust and faith to take on a criminal determined to keep them from the truth—not to mention a second shot at a future.

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A book suggestion popped up from a favorite and oft seen author, Christy Barritt, and it can’t be passed up in my estimation.

Shadow of Suspicion (Love Inspired Suspense)

A police detective works to clear a woman’s name and keep her alive in this inspirational romantic suspense novel by a USA Today bestseller.

First, computer specialist Laney Ryan’s accused of kidnapping her neighbor’s daughter—and now someone’s trying to kill her. The police don’t believe Laney’s story . . . except for Detective Mark James, whose instincts say Laney isn’t guilty.

Together, Mark and Laney must figure out who really abducted the teen and uncover why they’re framing Laney. But when their search for the truth turns deadly, Mark realizes his feelings for Laney aren’t strictly professional and that he’ll stop at nothing to keep her safe. With a dangerous suspect swiftly closing in, can they find the missing girl and clear Laney’s name . . . before their possible future together is fatally cut short?

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It has been a good day. I’m hoping there is something here that leads you to think so too.

Christy likes to have the next one ready for pre-order, to coincide with the publishing date of the previous one in the series. We’ve received book 5 and now book 6 is about ready for the publication queue too.

Deceptive Shallows (Lantern Beach Exposure Book 5) 

He lost her once. He won’t lose her again . . .

After waiting for years, Brandon Hale is finally about to marry Finley Cooper, the woman of his dreams. But when things start to go haywire on their wedding day, Brandon can’t shake the feeling that something terrible looms . . .

Just as Finley emerges to walk down the aisle, federal agents surround her and place her under arrest. Someone has gone to extreme lengths to ensure Finley will spend the rest of her life in prison. But why? Who would frame her for treason?

Brandon and Finley must dive deep into danger to find the answers and prove her innocence. If they don’t find the culprit, their dreams of happily ever after will be lost again . . . this time forever.

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This one comes out in August so I have a little time to get the last one read.

Secret Shores (Lantern Beach Exposure Book 6)

Jonah finds out shocking details about his past, and the secrets behind Ocean Essence are finally revealed in the exciting conclusion to the Lantern Beach Exposure series!

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We are always happy to see another Christy Barritt book.

This was an interview on a podcast I watched recently. I think it needs to be re-watched to get the most out of it, maybe even more than once or twice, and I’m planning on it.

I’ve also downloaded the doctor’s book.It looks like it will be a helpful tool in learning how to have a healthy brain.

First the book.

Change Your Brain Every Day: Simple Daily Practices to Strengthen Your Mind, Memory, Moods, Focus, Energy, Habits, and Relationships 

366 Days to a Better Brain, Mind, and Life!

In Change Your Brain Every Day psychiatrist and clinical neuroscientist Daniel Amen, MD, draws on over 40 years’ clinical practice with tens of thousands of patients to give you the most effective daily habits he has seen that can help you improve your brain, master your mind, boost your memory, and make you feel happier, healthier, and more connected to those you love.

Incorporating Dr. Amen’s tiny habits and practices over the course of a year will help you:

• Manage your mind to support your happiness, inner peace, and success
• Develop lifelong strategies for dealing with whatever stresses come your way
• Create an ongoing sense of purpose in a way that informs your daily actions
• Learn major life lessons Dr. Amen has gleaned from studying hundreds of thousands of brain scans

Imagine what you could learn by spending every day for a year on a psychiatrist’s couch. In the pages of Change Your Brain Every Day, you’ll get a year’s worth of life-changing daily wisdom from Dr. Amen, one of the world’s most prominent psychiatrists.

Today is the day to start changing the trajectory of your life, one tiny step at a time.

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I’m going to start a journal, taking notes and keeping track of my thoughts as I work my way through the steps listed for us.

And now the video

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Who knew:

An unexpected side effect of reading this book and doing the steps is the emergence of a progress report on how far I/ we’ve already come in relation to our brain and thought life. It’s encouraging actually, to think we aren’t just spinning our wheels here.

Maybe our focus wasn’t on the brain but somewhere else and yet it was still affected by whatever we were doing. I find that encouraging too. Good or bad, our body and mind is a package deal. In this day and age of compartmentalization we tend to forget that important point.

The trouble with speed reading and then allowing books to accumulate before talking about them? I’ve lost track of my thoughts and the reasons for the ratings I’ve given them. I think I enjoyed these two books from this series but I decided on four stars, not sure why.

I do remember they were worth the read anyway, especially the second one.

The Shepherd’s Voice: A Novel (Beneath Sweet Western Skies)

Gabe Talmadge languished in prison for ten years, convicted of a horrible crime. Now free, he’s unable to find work in the midst of the Great Depression. In desperation, he returns home to Ransom, Idaho, hoping his uncaring father will give him food and shelter, if not love. But the prodigal isn’t welcomed home. Hudson Talmadge, who virtually owns the town, despises his son as much as ever, and Gabe is as powerless as an adult as he was as a child to win his father’s approval.

Hungry and hopeless, Gabe is rescued by the owner of a sheep ranch south of Ransom. Incredibly, Akira Macauley gives him a place to live and work to do. More than that, she gives him hope that he can receive forgiveness of his past – and perhaps even love. But when tragedy strikes Ransom once again and Gabe’s life begins to unravel, he must either sink into an abyss of hopelessness or cling to a faith, hope, and love stronger than any he has ever known.

A Vote of Confidence: Historical Romantic Fiction (Beneath Sweet Western Skies)

Put up or shut up! Complaining about Bethlehem Springs’ dissolute mayoral candidate, Gwen Arlington is challenged to take on the role herself. For seven years, she’s carved out an independent life in the bustling mountain town of Bethlehem Springs, Idaho, teaching piano and writing for the local newspaper. But now she’s a single woman running for mayor — and in 1915 this decision is bound to stir up trouble.

Morgan McKinley is fed up with the delays that hinder the construction of New Hope Health Spa, a place where both rich and poor can come for rest and healing. New to the area, he’s determined that serving as mayor would help him push through his agenda for progress.

Gwen and Morgan each want to prove they are the most qualified candidate, not only to voters but to each other, and so sparks fly as the two campaign. Although Morgan has learned to guard his heart as fiercely as Gwen guards her independence, could they learn to be allies instead of adversaries?

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I enjoyed the next two Christmas collections although the first collection was my favorite.

Keeping Christmas: Volume One

The Lights of Castlebourne (by Cathe Swanson and Chautona Havig):

The Girl From Dalarna (by Olivia Talbott): 

The Cross at Morioka Castle (by Kathleen J. Robison)

The Ghost of Christmas… (by Denise L. Barela):

Crystal Clear (by Marguerite Martin Gray): 

The Weary World Rejoices (by Naomi Craig):

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Keeping Christmas: Volume Two

Escape to Greenaway (by Chautona Havig): 

The King’s Promise (by Tabitha Bouldin):

A Castle for Christmas (by Susan K. Beatty):

An Irish Christmas Heart (by Jennifer Sienes):

Christmas at Curwood’s Castle (by Melissa Wardwell): 

Christmas in the Cotswolds (by Stacy T. Simmons):

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I still have seven more books to mention and clear out of my device, so more tomorrow.

Now that I’m done for the moment, I’m going back to check out several bargains that looked like they could be interesting. If they are I’ll probably publish that post ahead of this one to make sure they don’t expire before we are ready. Fingers crossed. I’d like to see something fresh. Most of the choices right now have been around for a while and passed over in favor of more enticing opportunities.