LPC Free Books has FREE suggestions for us. I’ve not read this author but it looks interesting.
Fifteen-year-old Adriana Nicu lives in the sheltered world of Bucharest, Romania, in the year 1987. Under the rule of Communist president Nicolae Ceaușescu, citizens of Bucharest live with the eyes and ears of the government ever present. Adriana’s future, which will involve becoming an engineer, is locked in against her will.
During a visit to her aunt’s apartment, Adriana walks through a wardrobe into a hidden room filled with stacks of forbidden novels. Stories bring light into the darkest of circumstances as her family begins to unravel and her life strangely parallels those of her novels’ heroines. Adriana’s childhood loyalties and her belief that God doesn’t exist are called into question as her circumstances force her to rethink things she once believed were certain.
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Another author new to me.
The Chamomile (Women of the American Revolution Series Book 1)
Lilyan joins Patriot spies in British-occupied Charlestown, South Carolina, to rescue her brother from a notorious prison ship. She’ll lie, steal, kill or be killed in order to protect her family. Desperate for help, she seeks out Nicholas, a scout with Francis Marion’s partisans.
Together the pair set out to save her brother. But will they reach him in time? Or will her growing feelings for Nicholas compromise their mission and send the pair to the gallows?
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My current book is still a bargain and it is a good read. The main character is strong willed, smart, but she has her flaws. She makes the story worth reading.
Bittersweet Motives (Serena Manchester Mysteries Book 1)
Former reporter Serena “Rena” Manchester has transitioned into her new career as a private detective. The Clayton Matthews Law firm sends a few investigations her way that pays the bills, though the work is hardly exciting. However, a shift occurs one day while she is taking photos of a prominent businessman, Edwin Peters, with his young mistress. When the woman shows up dead, Serena has no doubt that Edwin Peters is the prime suspect.
A monkey wrench is thrown at her theory when Serena realizes her client, Mrs. Judith Peters, has just as much motive to kill the young woman. Rena is going to need her hard-nosed tactics to find a murderer because the suspects keep piling up.
Is it OK if I don’t have anything momentous to say this morning?
These days, my thoughts are consumed with several heavy duty subjects but it doesn’t seem appropriate, for many reasons, to talk about any of them. The trouble with immersing myself in these off-limits but important topics is a shortage of time spent pondering things I would be comfortable talking about.
At the moment, it is quiet in here, deadly quiet. All of the normal voices have been turned off.
The temptation to turn some of them back on will be high, I’m sure, but I want to spend time listening to discover what my mind is telling me on acceptable subjects. Sometimes, most times actually, our mind needs input, to help prime-the-pump so to speak.
This is a “why study math when you need to study literature” sort of moment.
I have several non fiction books I should be reading, I’m sure inspiration would be found in that activity.
I was toying with that idea but decided it might be good to start the day a little lighter. So I picked another book instead.
This choice sounds like it will be a fluff book but it’s likely not. This author writes books with meat on the bones. I think this one will be a positive influence on my thought life and who knows, maybe I will be inspired to write something momentous. Maybe not momentous but a smaller scale seems doable. I’ll keep you posted about my progress toward inspiration, later.
Catch of a Lifetime – Low Country Love (Finding Love in the Low Country Book 3)
From an early age, Adella believed that love brings only pain. First her mother dies, and Adella struggles to deal with her grief and care for her younger sisters. When the young girls decide they don’t need Adella anymore, she concludes she can’t trust anyone but herself. With few options, she determines she will use her good looks and intelligence to catch a handsome, wealthy man who can give her the security she craves. Derek Goodson appears to be the man of her dreams, and at first their marriage is wonderful. After a few years, however, Adella discovers a restlessness that nothing seems to satisfy. She is bored with exclusive parties, clothing, and vacations. When introduced to a handsome stranger, she wonders if he is the answer to her secret longings. Adele must face some tough choices, along with a tender tug on her soul. She married Derek for his money. Why can’t she love him for it?
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I’m looking forward to seeing what this day had to offer by the time it’s over.
I’m wishing a good day for you too. Whatever your day may look like.
The first one The Cryptographer’s Dilemma (Heroines of WWII Book 1)
Full of intrigue, adventure, and romance, this new series celebrates the unsung heroes—the heroines of WWII.
FBI cryptographer Eloise Marshall is grieving the death of her brother, who died during the attack on Pearl Harbor, when she is assigned to investigate a seemingly innocent letter about dolls. Agent Phillip Clayton is ready to enlist and head oversees when asked to work one more FBI job. A case of coded defense coordinates related to dolls should be easy, but not so when the Japanese Consulate gets involved, hearts get entangled, and Phillip goes missing. Can Eloise risk loving and losing again?
The unique thing about this book was that while it was totally fiction the story was based on real historical events. The author used creative licence to make time lines and activities fit within the story framework while at the same time using real names and many details. The idea was to honor those involved in this heroic retelling.
It was a thoroughly enjoyable read with a great ending. It’s interesting to catch a glimpse of what life was like in hard times for some of our ancestors
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The second book is Wounded Heart: A Mystery (Reed Family Mysteries Book 5)
The final book in the crime-fighting Reed Family mystery romance series.
Jackson “Jax” Reed has exchanged his years as a reporter to become a New York Times bestselling author. Being birthed from an affair, Jax has always had a cloud that’s loomed over his life. Despite the growing success of his true crime books, a secret that his mother took to the grave has turned his life upside-down. Jax runs into an old flame, Ebony Hampton, the woman who broke off their engagement fifteen years ago. These two quickly find themselves at odds since Ebony is the FBI agent tasked with investigating the serial killer who happens to be the subject of Jax’s latest book. When their shared “subject” makes a daring escape from prison, the former couple will find themselves risking their lives together.
This was a highly enjoyable read too.
A special part of this story, for me, was the authors treatment of interpersonal relationships. We all have our own approach to living life and it showed up in the way her characters conducted themselves. It was refreshing to see a new treatment to an often experienced scenario. It was more pragmatic and less emotionally reactive.
The mystery part of the story had a fresh take on it too.
Overall, this was a great read. I would love to read the rest of the series.
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Both of these books are still at bargain prices. Grab them while you still can.
This is one of those days when I have nothing on my mind to say so I’ll just start talking and see what happens.
I know I mentioned this yesterday but I can’t get over how quickly the snow melts when the temperature rises to zero and the hot sun shines brightly. The sun really is hot here. It’s crazy. It can be freezing and short sleeves still work when you are standing in the sun.
With these bright days the furnace has hardly been on and at one point today the inside temp was 74 F. At the moment (9:45) it is still 71.
Another thing that is crazy? I measure inside temps and fever temps in Fahrenheit and outside temps in Celsius. I measure mileage in kilometers and fuel in litres, fabric and everything else in inches and yards, and food in pounds and ounces – sort of. It seems like I have an identity crisis. I probably do but I’m not planning on resolving it anytime soon. I’m happy just the way I am. Probably because I wasn’t thrilled with the whole change to metric in the first place. This mixed up system is my mini rebellion.
On to another favorite topic – books. I haven’t been doing well with my book a day goal. Two reasons, mainly. I’ve been busier at work as my workload has increased. I’ve very happy about this for multiple reasons. On top of that, I’ve once again been spending time watching live streams of the people’s convoy, this time in Maryland USA.
I’ve been following ZOT You Tube channel, Charlotte is the host and she does an amazing job. Everyone LOVES her. She loves people, and she is fearless. This causes a great deal of anxiety among her viewers, as well as the people she hangs out with on the ground. Everyone is looking out for her and they let her know. They pay attention to where she is, who she’s with, and what she does or doesn’t eat. This probably makes her even safer. Today she streamed for over twelve hours. From the time she left her hotel until she closed her car door to go back.
This beautiful girl is amazing and, she has publicly shared – she is nineteen.
I tune in, leave it on in the back ground all day, and stop by to watch when ever I have a few moments, or hours. They have been doing a peaceful protest for about three weeks. Everyday they drive what is called the beltway, around the capital. That’s it. Drive the route and then back to the speedway in Hagerstown MD. The authorities know the plan every day and they stick to it, no surprises. There are a few counter protesters who try to provoke a fight but it hasn’t worked. Today there were people in a field throwing large bricks of some sort on the road, One of the trucks was hit and suffered radiator damage. The big trucks with him all stopped for support. Live streamers caught it all on video and they were able to identify the perpetrators. These guys couldn’t have gone far (which doesn’t seem all that smart) because the police were able to arrest them easily. Charlotte was in one of the lead trucks so we got to see this happening.
It was a long day.
They arrived back to a noisy speedway. There were time trials going on for the big race coming up next weekend. The guys in her chat were urging her to go see the cars, her welfare in mind-caregivers were saying go eat first. She opted for food first but it was challenging because there are always people at every turn waiting to talk to her. It’s a bad thing and a good thing. She is very gracious to everyone.
Charlotte was a newbie at live streaming when she started taking daily shifts with the convoy in Ottawa Her progress has been amazing. She has a gift for relating to people and drawing out their stories. I can see a future for her in journalism if she ever decides to go that route.
The protests have been peaceful in both places and the amazing thing out of it is – love wins. A soft answer turns away wrath is really true. Hatred is confused by love. We watched this happen in both places and it was encouraging.
The other awesome thing coming out of this is the changing relationship between the US and Canada. On a grass roots level.
On a personal/individual level we’ve had good relationships across the border. As a body/country, in general, we were neighbors with a passing acquaintance. With all of the events over the last four months we are becoming neighbors with a strong friendship. It’s amazing to watch it unfold. To hear people expressing such love and appreciation is a very emotional experience. Watching ZOT for hours we get to see these expressions over and over.
How can you tell I am just a little bit wound up by all of this.
I watched the goings-on in Ottawa til the end (hoping there will be more) and I will watch Hagerstown to the end too. It gives me, and others, hope in this crazy time.
Well, it seems I could go on and on but…
I’ll save some for next time.
There are many live streamers out there, start with ZOT and you will see others pop up too. Check them all out.
BookRunes has a FREE suggestions for us. I’ve not read this author so I’m looking forward to this.
A Bend In The Road
Just when she thought her future was settled, Loretta learned that her new husband was only trying to spite his parents for their controlling nature and was not at all interested in having a wife. For three years she endured his neglect and forced poverty until her presence was requested by the high and mighty in-laws. To her shock, she learned some disturbing news that put her in a sticky situation.
Living a long way from any family, she was forced to direct her own path taking her even farther from the security of loved ones. Just as she was about to plant roots, she heard from her absent husband with a threat to find her if she didn’t return the money his parents paid her to disappear. Again she was uprooted and went even farther west into territory where it would be difficult to find her.
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My current read is wonderful and still a bargain. I’m just getting started so the good details are not here yet but I’m excited to see where the story is going.
The Cryptographer’s Dilemma (Heroines of WWII Book 1)
Full of intrigue, adventure, and romance, this new series celebrates the unsung heroes—the heroines of WWII.
FBI cryptographer Eloise Marshall is grieving the death of her brother, who died during the attack on Pearl Harbor, when she is assigned to investigate a seemingly innocent letter about dolls. Agent Phillip Clayton is ready to enlist and head oversees when asked to work one more FBI job. A case of coded defense coordinates related to dolls should be easy, but not so when the Japanese Consulate gets involved, hearts get entangled, and Phillip goes missing. Can Eloise risk loving and losing again?
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It’s a good day with one book. It’s a good day too with the snow melt. The worst is over and it’s crazy how fast everything disappears when the temp warms up close to 0 and the sun shines bright.
Have a good night, or day, depending on what part of the world you are in.
Wholy! The snow melts fast around here when it warms up and the sun shines hot. It has been in the minus teens celcius the last week or more and today it’s 6 above. It’s awesome.
So happy to see shingles and decking starting to show.
I haven’t been out much but when I went last, the snow banks on the side of the roads were difficult to see over. They will be shrinking fast.
Spring is not far off and we couldn’t be happier.
Haven’t looked for books yet today but will in a bit.
BookBub has a bargain suggestion and I think we have seen it recently but can’t confirm it. I’ll pretend it’s new and not apologize for showing it twice. Lynette Eason is worth seeing again anyway.
Always Watching (Elite Guardians Book #1)
The bodyguards of Elite Guardians Agency have more than just skill and prowess in common–they’re also all women. When it becomes clear that popular psychiatrist and radio personality Wade Savage has a stalker, his father secretly hires Elite Guardians in order to protect his son.
But when Wade’s bodyguard is attacked and nearly killed, agency owner Olivia Edwards must step in and fill the gap. Olivia’s skills are about to be tested to the limit as Wade’s stalker moves from leaving innocent gifts at his door to threatening those closest to him. Olivia has the feeling that she’s next on the list. And to complicate things even further, she realizes that her heart may be in as much danger as her client.
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1531 Entertainment has an interesting looking bargain suggestion for us. Another author new to us.
Bittersweet Motives (Serena Manchester Mysteries Book 1)
Former reporter Serena “Rena” Manchester has transitioned into her new career as a private detective. The Clayton Matthews Law firm sends a few investigations her way that pays the bills, though the work is hardly exciting. However, a shift occurs one day while she is taking photos of a prominent businessman, Edwin Peters, with his young mistress. When the woman shows up dead, Serena has no doubt that Edwin Peters is the prime suspect.
A monkey wrench is thrown at her theory when Serena realizes her client, Mrs. Judith Peters, has just as much motive to kill the young woman. Rena is going to need her hard-nosed tactics to find a murderer because the suspects keep piling up.
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I see Tyora Moody has another bargain book. It looks intense and interesting too.
Wounded Heart: A Mystery (Reed Family Mysteries Book 5)
Jackson “Jax” Reed has exchanged his years as a reporter to become a New York Times bestselling author. Being birthed from an affair, Jax has always had a cloud that’s loomed over his life. Despite the growing success of his true crime books, a secret that his mother took to the grave has turned his life upside-down.
Jax runs into an old flame, Ebony Hampton, the woman who broke off their engagement fifteen years ago. These two quickly find themselves at odds since Ebony is the FBI agent tasked with investigating the serial killer who happens to be the subject of Jax’s latest book. When their shared “subject” makes a daring escape from prison, the former couple will find themselves risking their lives together.
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Today the theme is Mystery, Suspense, Thriller.
And, it’s exciting to add another new author to our list.
BookBub had a FREE suggestion for us, from a regular author on our site.
A Supper in Sweet Grove (Texas Hearts Book 2)
Despite her pretty face and winning personality, small-town waitress Kristina Rose Maher has never been kissed. Believing fairytales never happen for fat girls, she’s holed up that part of her heart. But when she needs weight loss surgery to treat her diabetes, Kristina Rose sees this as her chance to finally find a prince of her own.
Jeffrey Berkley’s life is all planned out, but Jeffrey can’t see himself following in his dad’s footsteps. Working as the diner’s cook, as much as he enjoys it, is delaying the inevitable.
But as Kristina’s absence from the diner where they both work grows longer, they’ll both find themselves questioning what—and who—they want in life. Will they learn to stand up for themselves to get their happily ever afters of their own?
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LPC Free Books has a FREE suggestion from another one of our regular authors.
Catch of a Lifetime – Low Country Love (Finding Love in the Low Country Book 3)
From an early age, Adella believed that love brings only pain. First her mother dies, and Adella struggles to deal with her grief and care for her younger sisters. When the young girls decide they don’t need Adella anymore, she concludes she can’t trust anyone but herself. With few options, she determines she will use her good looks and intelligence to catch a handsome, wealthy man who can give her the security she craves.
Derek Goodson appears to be the man of her dreams, and at first their marriage is wonderful. After a few years, however, Adella discovers a restlessness that nothing seems to satisfy. She is bored with exclusive parties, clothing, and vacations. When introduced to a handsome stranger, she wonders if he is the answer to her secret longings. Adele must face some tough choices, along with a tender tug on her soul. She married Derek for his money. Why can’t she love him for it?
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1531 Entertainment has a bargain suggestion from one more regular on here.
Secrets at Cedar Cabin (A Lavender Tides Novel Book 3)
Her mother lied about her identity and her husband wasn’t who she thought he was. Can Bailey even trust herself anymore?
Running for her life in the wake of her mother’s murder, Bailey Fleming escapes to the only place she can think of—a remote, dilapidated cabin in Lavender Tides. Intending to finally get to the truth behind the lies of her past, Bailey only finds more questions when bodies are discovered near her cabin hideout along with traces of a dangerous human trafficking ring. In an unlikely partnership with FBI agent Lance Phoenix, Bailey races to understand the mystery surrounding her life and circumstances before the murderer tracks her down.
Meanwhile, Lance is determined to rescue his sister, Ava, who was abducted after running away from home as a teenager. An unexpected lead brings him to the remote cabin, and he wonders if Bailey—with her suspicious past and strange connections to his sister’s case—is really who she claims to be and if she can somehow lead him to Ava.
What a shock! Time change happened and I wasn’t paying attention. With so much snow in the yard it just seems wrong.
Maybe I am the only one out of sync with the season, my house plants are all starting to grow and bloom again.
I don’t think it’s me. -16C and two feet of snow?
I had things on my mind to chat about, honest, but all this talk about time and weather has derailed all rational thought. I’ll go for coffee and a bite to eat, maybe that will help.
This is hours later and it didn’t really help. I wanted to have something upbeat and light to talk about but it’s not happening. For a number of reasons
I was reading and liking a book but it didn’t qualify as positive because of the ongoing distressing events facing the characters. It turned out well in the end but since I feel other’s emotions …
And then…
A You Tube podcast was impactful this week. But it too deals with a serious subject.
At one point in the video the conversation was centered around brokenness and a new idea (at least to me) was put forth. I don’t remember the conversation enough to quote it, and that can be a good thing. The question was: in regard to story, are we living and defining ourselves by our old story or by our present story? Most of us are living with our old story.
That’s true for me, when I stop to think about it. The abusive story of origin is the first place my thoughts go when asked about my life. In many ways the old story does define me because of the depth of emotional damage. Like a crippling spinal injury, in some areas it will color the way I do life for as long as I live. On the other hand though, my life as a whole took a 180 once we were removed from the situation. The idea put forth in the video was that we need to write and live by our new story. I can see the positive difference it would make to my view, and the world’s view, of me if I did this.
Replacing the old with the new will take some getting used to. It sounds easy but to do it successfully the insecure view of myself will have to change drastically. That will be the hard part. I think I like the idea enough to give it an honest try though.
Here is the video with the helpful conversation. The part referring to writing our new story happens in the last 10 minutes. Everything else is worth listening to as well. This is a leadership podcast but they cover so much more and it all applies to everyday people like you and me. Although who is to say we aren’t leaders? They say we should look behind us and if someone is following we are a leader, never mind that it isn’t a recognized leadership. The opposite is also sometimes true; there are a few in recognized leadership positions who, if they looked behind, would find no one following.
But leadership is not the focus here, the need for writing our new story is.
Ian Morgan Cron is talking about his latest book and in it he spends time on the idea of writing our new story, explaining why it is a worthwhile and life changing exercise.
The Story of You: An Enneagram Journey to Becoming Your True Self
Drawing on his training as a psychotherapist and his own personal experience, Ian Cron explains how you can:
rewrite the self-sabotaging stories you tell yourself about who you are,
free yourself from the tyranny of unconscious childhood messages, and
overcome the self-defeating patterns of behavior that prevent you from becoming your authentic self.
With this powerful tool, Cron shows us how each type can shed their broken stories and harness their unique power within to become who we are truly meant to be, shedding the unhappiness we accumulate by trying to live out of the wrong story. Filled with examples from people whose lives have been transformed for the better, Cron maps out a guide for using Enneagram wisdom to reauthor your life and experience deep inner transformation, healing, and happiness.
Rewrite the story of you and find the freedom in becoming your true self!
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His first book in this series is also helpful.
The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery
Ignorance is bliss―except in self-awareness. What you don’t know about yourself can hurt you and your relationships―and even keep you in the shallows with God. Do you want help figuring out who you are and why you’re stuck in the same ruts? The Enneagram is an ancient personality typing system with an uncanny accuracy in describing how human beings are wired, both positively and negatively. In The Road Back to You Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile forge a unique approach―a practical, comprehensive way of accessing Enneagram wisdom and exploring its connections with Christian spirituality for a deeper knowledge of ourselves, compassion for others, and love for God. Witty and filled with stories, this book allows you to peek inside each of the nine Enneagram types, keeping you turning the pages long after you have read the chapter about your own number. Not only will you learn more about yourself, but you will also start to see the world through other people’s eyes, understanding how and why people think, feel, and act the way they do. Beginning with changes you can start making today, the wisdom of the Enneagram can help take you further along into who you really are―leading you into places of spiritual discovery you would never have found on your own, and paving the way to the wiser, more compassionate person you want to become.
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There are varied opinions on the value of Enneagram. I’ve gone into it with an open but discerning mind and have found much that resonates and is helpful to me.
I have a tendency, like many others along with me, to beat myself up. Brutally sometimes. Learning more about who I am and how I tick has made a world of difference in the way I view myself. More tolerance, less critical, kindness.
I’m looking forward to growing with the latest book.
I hope you will find this as helpful in your journey as I do in mine.
For the Love of Books 