This was another week of good books. I liked some of them especially well.

There were a couple I had trouble getting into but I could tell they were good books, just not books that appealed to me at this particular time, so I included them anyway. They will appeal to someone, I know.

One of the things I loved about the books this week – unexpected twists and turns.

We talked about the unexpected at this month’s meeting of the local writer’s group I belong to. We are having a story challenge again.  We will be given a partial sentence to  finish and use as a springboard to jump into a story. We talked about finding new slants so it doesn’t sound like we are all doing a variation of the same outline.

Last months story challenge entries were all well written and it was exciting to see the high level of  enthusiasm. This time we are hoping to up our game a little. We all did tend to go in the same general direction in our story treatment last time. Maybe we will be inspired to think outside the box a little and come up with some unique treatments for this new story.

We are really getting into this, so much so that we are hoping to have something we can publish when we’re done. Maybe something that could be spread around  in the community as reading material. Waiting rooms and care facilities would be good places to start. Who doesn’t love something new to pick up and read at a time like that.

Now, on to the books

 A Nest of Sparrows – Deborah Raney…. Wade didn’t expect to ever fall in love, but he did. And he loved her three children as if they were his own. The unthinkable happens before the wedding can take place and Wade and the children are left to cope with their grief. Uncertainty is very real as it isn’t clear if he will be able to keep them.

 Wings of Glory –  A Distant Melody book 1- Sarah Sundin …. Allie will do anything to gain her mother’s approval, including marrying a man she doesn’t love. Lt Walter Novak is fearless in the cockpit but hopeless with women. He takes his last furlough at home, before shipping out, to attend a wedding , meeting Allie, forming a friendship around a mutual love of music. Can they untangle their secrets and commitments soon enough to have a future together.  Wings of Glory follows the three Novak brothers, B17 bomber pilots stationed in England during World War II.    4 stars

  The Omega Trilogy – Unbound book 1- J B Simmons … Elijah Goldsmith is trying to ignore dreams he has been having, nightmares about a dragon destroying  St Peter’s Basilica in Rome. He’s never been to Rome. Graduating soon, he is applying to be a spy with the International Security Agency where he meets Naomi. There is a strong attraction between them and she makes him want to share his secrets. As they delve into finding an interpretation for the dreams it seems there is more to their attraction than romance, something else is at play here. The year is 2066, when the world ends.  4 stars  I hope to read the next two in this Sci-Fi/Fantasy series.

  Trial by Fire – DiAnn Mills….. Special Agent Savannah Barrett and her partner SA Paul Winston are in the middle of investigating a number of puzzling church fires when she receives word her estranged son and his wife have been killed in a car accident, She is instantly guardian to three grandchildren she didn’t know she had. Life is thrown into disarray as she adjusts to having children again. And life is even worse when the church arsonist begins to target her, and her family. 4 stars

  Talking to The Dead: a Novel – Bonnie Grove … Kate Davis is struggling after the unexpected death of her husband. She can’t bear to go upstairs so she has been camped out on the sofa in the living room for weeks. She hasn’t bathed, changed clothes or been out of the house, and she can’t sleep –  because her husband Kevin keeps talking to her.  She is questioning her sanity. She tries many places to find help with this but fails miserably. Until she meets Jack, a warm hearted, unconventional pastor of a ramshackle church. Kevin’s voice seems to get quieter, until she begins to uncover his secrets, then he starts yelling.  This was a good book, definitely a different twist.

 The Lady’s Slipper – Deborah Swift … English artist Alice Ibbetson discovers the fragile flower she thought was extinct, in the nearby forest and steals it. She wants to paint it and find a way preserve it’s life for generations to come. She is not the only one to want it. A herbalist wants it for his medicines and a farmer wants it to  increase his fortunes, hoping it will become the next craze in gardening circles. In her efforts to save the flower Alice finds herself caught up in danger, treachery and unexpected passion. Historical fiction.

  Sweet Hearts of Sweet Creek – Her Heart’s Promise book 2 – Carolyne Aarsen …. As the plain sister with two beautiful siblings Nadine is used to being overlooked but she is not going to allow to late father’s employer to overlook  his suspicious death. She plans to use her position as editor of the local newspaper to help her find the truth. The trouble is, her high school crush and new owner of the paper, wants the story buried. To further complicate her life, she has a sick mother, a matchmaking grandmother, and a fake boyfriend who turns out to be real.

Happy reading everyone.