This and that March 12, 2022

Nature is amazing. It’s mind boggling sometimes to see how intricately plants, animals, birds and even people are designed.

It’s an Amaryllis plant that has me watching in wonder these weeks. I’ve never had one before so the way it works is all new to me.

The bulb was fairly large, about the size of an orange. It came with a nice pot and soil, along with instructions. The bulb had already started to sprout but it looked like it was coming out the bottom of the bulb which was a little weird. I didn’t know what that meant or what I should do so I left it and now we have some extra leaves showing up.

Back to the bulb proper though, the first sign of life on the top was an standing-upright stack of leaves. Not very big, about 1/2 inch wide and a couple of inches tall. It took a few days for them to grow and then they just sat there doing nothing. This confused me. What are you doing?

Eventually something began to sprout right next to the little bunch of leaves.

To make a long story short, very quickly, once it got started, the bright green sprout grew to be a tall stalk. The stalk had a pod on the top and it was curious to see what it was planning on doing. Before long it began to break apart. Everything moved so fast you could almost see it grow.

The pod kept opening until there were five beautiful flowers.

Meanwhile the small vertical stack of leaves began to grow.

The flowers are almost done. There is one left and the leaves at the bottom are growing quickly. The instructions say to cut away the stock when the last one is done.

We will be left with beautiful foliage for the rest of the season.

It is like an orchestrated dance this plant goes through.

Which leaves me wondering. How do the parts know when it’s their turn to grow?

It’s a mystery and I can’t help but marvel at the beauty of the dance.

Read and enjoyed March 11, 2022

This one was definitely a favorite. Excellent writing, great characters, well put together story. Today was a read day. Must finish once started. It’s still a bargain if you are interested.

Kill Shot: A Novel (White Knights Book 2)

Some fears haunt you forever….

As the ballistics and weapon’s expert for the FBI’s special task force nicknamed the White Knights, Rick Cannon has known the Department of Defense was developing self-steering bullets. Rick feared these smart bullets–which have one hundred percent accuracy that can turn even a novice into a lethal sniper–would eventually end up in the hands of the wrong people. But since the ammunition was still in the development stage, he figured they had plenty of time before that happened. He was wrong. Dead wrong.

Until they become reality.

When a homeless vet is killed with a smart bullet, it’s clear that the ammunition has been stolen, and the Knights are called in to find the thief and stop the killings. But they aren’t the only ones desperate to find the killer. Therapist Olivia Dobbs is well known for her success in counseling military veterans with PTSD. When she discovers one of her clients moments after he is murdered, she becomes both the FBI’s prime witness, and suspect.

Despite the mutual attraction that immediately sparks between them, Rick can’t–no he won’t–let Olivia interfere with his investigation. But when the sniper trains his rifle on her, Rick must recall all the skills he learned as a Marine sniper to make sure the next bullet fired isn’t a kill shot that takes Olivia out.

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It’s the weekend. I’m hoping you have a few good books to read.

Happy Reading y’all

Free and bargain books March 11, 2022

BookBub has a FREE suggestion for us. I have read and enjoyed this.

Hard Landing (Hope Landing Romantic Suspense Book 1)

Two wary souls get a second chance at love.
If a killer doesn’t find them first.

When a stalker turns to murder, pilot Kelli Spencer needs protection. What she doesn’t need is her old love Jack Reese returning to stir things up, but the former Navy SEAL and his team of protection specialists are the best of the best. Trust him with her life? If she has to. Trust him with her heart? No way.

The last time Jack left, he made it clear married life held no appeal. Ten years later, he wastes no time letting her know he hasn’t changed. Not that she’d be fool enough to hope. As the commander of Knight Tactical, Jack jumps at the chance to protect Kelli and take down a killer, but as soon as she’s safe, he plans to shake the dust of the small mountain town off his feet again…until he realizes he never should have left the first time. Can he convince Kelli to give him another chance, or will a devious killer destroy his plans for a happily ever after?

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1531 Entertainment has a bargain suggestion. It’s a pre-order for an author writing for a new market. This is the second book in the new series. I’ve not read anything from this author and samples have not been provided. Based on the number of five star reviews I’m going to give this a shot. I’m not expecting to be disappointed.

Eden: A Christian Romantic Suspense (Cold Case Murder Mystery Series Book 2)

The discovery of a shallow grave in the woods is just the beginning of Bethenny’s troubles…

Taking with her a string of failed relationships and the haunting memories of a fatal car accident, Homicide Detective Bethenny Monroe decides to step away from her demanding career in LA and return to her roots—the small town of Redwater. But, Redwater is no longer the place she remembers…

Detective Lachlan Taylor is good at running from his problems. He’s been running since his wife, Eden, was murdered in their family home. But, when a chilling note is left beside a murder victim in Redwater, Lachlan learns he can’t outrun the past and to heal from his wife’s death he must find her killer before more blood is shed.

But this time he doesn’t have to do it alone. Bethenny and Lachlan are an unstoppable duo in EDEN—a gripping story of love, faith, healing and forgiveness.

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Another bargain book showed up in the suggestion strip. I’ve read and enjoyed this one too.

First Wave (Northwest Counter-Terrorism Taskforce Book 1)

Just another Friday night. Or is it?

Homeland Security Agent Dakota Pierce is in the Washington backwoods to sniff out domestic terrorism.

DEA rookie Josh Weber and his dog show up to uncover a mystery of their own. When a young woman’s body is discovered, everything points to a local militia.

The Northwest Counter-Terrorism Taskforce is on the case.

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I know the caption for most of these say Christian but I’m pretty sure they have all been written for the General Market. That means they are clean, focused on a good story, with no “preachy” stuff.

That’s my favorite. I’m equally not a fan of preachy or over done public displays of affection. It’s not easy to find books free of those things and it is so appreciated when they do show up.

While I’m not a fan of books with an agenda, I still include those I can tell will be promoting christian values because I know there are people out there looking for answers and encouragement.

I include them because I know people are discerning and can decide for themselves what they do or do not wish to read.

In the meantime, I’m pretty sure with these three we are getting today are pure story, and I’m looking forward to the new one I have not read.

I hope you are excited about these as well. They are good reads.

Happy Reading.

Bargain book March 10, 2022

BookRunes has a bargain book for us.

Mark of Steel

Marina Stephenson follows her heart and fills in at her friends bar the night her singer doesn’t show up. It was a simple gift from friend to friend, but her life is soon in turmoil. Dubbed the “secret singer” by the press, Marina’s life is turned upside down when she sings to Billionaire Axl Devereaux.

Inventor, Axl Devereaux, CEO of Devereaux Knives, Inc., is ready to present his cutting-edge design to the United States military. His work has been heralded by multiple branches of the government. Security has been a problem in the past, not this time. The new design could change the future in more ways than anyone can imagine. Well, almost anyone. Someone is trying to steal the prototype but how far will they go to get what they want? Can he trust Marina?

It will take all his skill to uncover the truth in time to save his new design, protect Marina, and the innocent lives caught in the crossfire.

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This is it so far for today. It looks interesting and a worthwhile read, which is encouraging.

Be back later if anything else shows up.

Happy Reading!

Bargain book… March 09, 2022

I found a good book for us. Amazing.

We’ve read book 1 in this series and now we can look forward to book 2.

Have you checked out this author? You should. Susan Sleeman writes an excellent story and appears on here regularly.

Kill Shot: A Novel (White Knights Book 2)

Some fears haunt you forever….

As the ballistics and weapon’s expert for the FBI’s special task force nicknamed the White Knights, Rick Cannon has known the Department of Defense was developing self-steering bullets. Rick feared these smart bullets–which have one hundred percent accuracy that can turn even a novice into a lethal sniper–would eventually end up in the hands of the wrong people. But since the ammunition was still in the development stage, he figured they had plenty of time before that happened. He was wrong. Dead wrong.

Until they become reality.

When a homeless vet is killed with a smart bullet, it’s clear that the ammunition has been stolen, and the Knights are called in to find the thief and stop the killings. But they aren’t the only ones desperate to find the killer. Therapist Olivia Dobbs is well known for her success in counseling military veterans with PTSD. When she discovers one of her clients moments after he is murdered, she becomes both the FBI’s prime witness, and suspect.

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I hope you are as excited as I am to have another Susan Sleeman book on the list.

Happy Reading.

Current read March 09, 2022

Go straight to current read. Do not pass books.

I’d like to stop at books but there were no enticing suggestions for us today.

Talk about browsing though, you will have to check out this collection even if you don’t want it. The publisher has put on quite the visual display, it’s startling in it’s impressiveness. Vivid colors, amazing graphics. Like the cover of this book only bigger.

Another thing. I’ve been downloading books from this author for a number of years but this is the first one I’ve taken the time to read. I’m surprised at how well I’m liking it. Then, the other shock is his ability to create such real emotion. His characters have intense responses to dreadful things. And the reader is drawn in right along with them. The main characters happen to be guys, which in this case is highly appropriate.

I think I’m about halfway through book one.

Signs of Life Series: A Christian Fiction Thriller Series Boxed Set 

Rogan Sneed . . . Portland’s Worst Nightmare

SIGNS OF LIFE (Signs of Life Series, Book 1)
Tragedy Strikes the City


High school teacher Tyson Cooper is just dismissing his class when a student flashes his phone. “Another shooting, Mr. C.”

And this one is too close to home. Tyson races to Pioneer Square . . . but he’s too late. The light of his life has been snuffed out—and so has his faith.

Veteran Portland Police Investigator Wayne Deetz, two years shy of retirement, is charged with leading the interrogations. When he meets 19-year-old shooter Rogan Sneed face-to-face, his life is changed forever.

Will Tyson settle for anything less than the death penalty in the case against Rogan Sneed? He’s bent on justice and will do anything to make Rogan pay for the pain he inflicted on Tyson and the entire city of Portland that rainy, haunting May day.

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Check it out. See what you think.

Happy Reading!

Bargain books March 08, 2022

1531 Entertainment has a bargain suggestion. This is year two for the Date with Danger Collection. In the first collection there where six authors, in version two there are three authors (all three in both collections.) Three authors with two books each in the new collection. (one book from each collection.) Make sense!?!? Sort of?

A Second Date with Danger: Inspirational Romantic Suspense Boxed Set

Three NEW books for 0.99, plus 3 more FREE from A Date with Danger set in case you missed that collection.

Six romantic suspense titles from 3 award-winning authors will bring thrills and inspiration.

Vigilant by Sara Davison (The Night Guardians #1)

Nicole Hunter must choose between the man who represents the law and the one who may have taken it into his own hands. When children begin disappearing & Detective Daniel Grey enlists Nicole’s help to investigate the man she loves, she faces her deepest fear. Everything & everyone she has clung to so tightly could be ripped from her, leaving her completely alone.

Guarded by Sara Davison (The Night Guardians #2)

The tip the stranger left sent Nicole a painfully clear message. The past is no longer in the past. Nicole is fighting to bury the memories. Someone else is fighting to keep them exposed. If she does find the courage to take a chance on love, her heart could be smashed into pieces. Again. And the one she trusts to keep her and her son safe has a secret that may prove to be the biggest threat of all.

Avalanche by Gayla K. Hiss (Peril in the Park #1)

When Park Ranger Jenny Snowfeather runs into Deputy Marshal Chase Matthews at a Fourth of July barbecue, she suspects there is more going on in Eagle Valley, WA than fireworks. Realizing the dangerous fugitive Chase is after may be in the area, Jenny risks everything, including her heart, to join Chase on a manhunt in the avalanche-prone backcountry of North Cascades National Park. They must tread carefully—one step in the wrong direction could mean the difference between life and death.

Dangerous Ground by Gayla K. Hiss (Peril in the Park #2)

Uncle Owen died mysteriously, & Deputy Marshal Kate Phillips wants to know why. After arriving at Great Smoky Mountains National Park in search of answers, Kate finds herself at the center of an ancient family feud & a land dispute. Even David Jennings, Kate’s handsome Good Samaritan who rescued her when she arrived, thinks he has a claim on Owen’s property—which some say is cursed.

Amid the mounting secrets and rumors circulating, Kate has a secret of her own—one that could threaten her life and any future she might have with David. It soon becomes clear someone is targeting her. Could Kate’s troubled past have come back to haunt her, or have the clues she’s uncovered about her uncle’s death put her life in danger?

The Courtship of Harry’s Wife by Jeanette-Marie Mirich (D. B. Burns Mysteries #1)

Delilah Morgan planned to mourn in private after her husband Harry passed, but he had other ideas—leaving his wife in good hands & protected from the elite of their small Kentucky town. Harry has selected handsome local judge Lyle Henderson to court his widow.

The judge acquiesces to Harry’s wishes until Henderson’s life spins into a maelstrom after the discovery of bodies in his long absent wife’s car. The police & FBI suspect him of murdering his wife & her apparent lover. Determined to clear the judge of murder, Delilah resolves to hunt down the true story. But will the adventure cost them their lives? Or will it be a wild-goose chase toward love?

The Last Roses by Jeanette-Marie Mirich (D. B. Burns Mysteries #2)

On a trip home from North Carolina, Delilah is stopped in her tracks by a deer she whacks into oblivion. Lyle Henderson comes to her rescue. Life would be a bed of roses if, during a week of recovery at the Henderson family estate, a lascivious conversation hadn’t been overheard, the mystery of a dead girl is revealed, & someone using Lyle’s cabin in the woods as a rendezvous hadn’t altered their plans.

Then Delilah’s beloved god-daughter & best friend’s only child is kidnapped. With Josephine in tow and the help of Lyle, Delilah sets out to unearth the villains & bring Savannah back home before it’s too late.

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I’ll have to reread the three from the first collection, my memory is a little fuzzy.

Here is the first collection in case you would be interested.

A Date with Danger: Inspirational Mystery and Suspense Set

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Read and enjoyed March 08, 2022

I haven’t read much from this author and wasn’t sure how I felt about his writing. This book turned out to be an excellent read and now I’ve added Robert Whitlow to my favorites list of authors.

I’m also happy to have stayed with my decision to read to the end. My initial reluctance was due to the genre. Sometimes I feel like I’ve read more WWII novels than I can handle. I was back to experiencing a spark of interest and it paid off.

This one had unique elements to draw the reader in and that was a game changer. His story treatment was a mixture of old and new with a twist. I loved his characters too, except for the ones he wanted us to hate.

I loved this read.

The whole book was a surprise and I gave it five stars.

The Witnesses 

Young lawyer Parker House is on the rise—until his grandfather’s mysterious past puts both of their lives in danger.

Parker House’s secret inheritance is either his greatest blessing . . . or his deadliest curse. The fresh-faced North Carolina attorney shares his German grandfather’s uncanny ability to see future events in his mind’s eye—a gift that has haunted 82-year-old Frank House through decades of trying to erase a murderous wartime past.

While Parker navigates the intrigue and politics of small-town courtroom law, Frank is forced to face his darkest regrets. Then, a big career break for Parker collides with a new love he longs to nurture and the nightmares his grandfather can no longer escape. Sudden peril threatens to shatter not only Parker’s legal prospects but also his life and the lives of those dearest to him.

Two witnesses, two paths, an uncertain future.

Bargain book March 07, 2022 Part Two

This bargain showed up as I was pursuing the books in today’s part one post. It is with an author I’ve not had a chance to read and I’m looking forward to the experience.

The Cryptographer’s Dilemma (Heroines of WWII Book 1

A Code Developer Uncovers a Japanese Spy Ring
 
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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My current read pairs well with this new bargain as they are related to the same era. Not in exactly the same way but still. I’m not far enough in to truly say I’ve started this book but I’m motivated to keep going because I’ve only read one story from this author. Not nearly enough to make a decision on likes.

The Witnesses

Young lawyer Parker House is on the rise—until his grandfather’s mysterious past puts both of their lives in danger.

Parker House’s secret inheritance is either his greatest blessing . . . or his deadliest curse. The fresh-faced North Carolina attorney shares his German grandfather’s uncanny ability to see future events in his mind’s eye—a gift that has haunted 82-year-old Frank House through decades of trying to erase a murderous wartime past.

While Parker navigates the intrigue and politics of small-town courtroom law, Frank is forced to face his darkest regrets. Then, a big career break for Parker collides with a new love he longs to nurture and the nightmares his grandfather can no longer escape. Sudden peril threatens to shatter not only Parker’s legal prospects but also his life and the lives of those dearest to him.

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It’s always a good idea to grab quickly because we never know how long a bargain price will last. It could go back to full price in a flash.

I’ll have to revise my current read status. I was checking it out a bit more and forgot I was supposed to be working on this post. That’s always a good sign.

Happy Reading… while I go back to my book.

Free and bargain books March 07, 2022

BookBub has a FREE suggestion from a well known author and it’s a book new to us.

Over the Waters

“Dr. Botox” to the bored rich women of Chicago, plastic surgeon Max Jordan is shocked by his son Joshua’s decision to focus his medical degree and talent on Haitian orphans. Embittered by Joshua’s sudden death, Max searches for resolution in the place his son called home—an orphanage outside of Port au Prince.

The selflessness of Joshua’s coworkers stuns Max. He is particularly taken with American volunteer Valerie Austin, whose dream of a tropical honeymoon has been crushed, replaced by a stint working in the impoverished orphanage. But Valerie’s view of Joshua’s sacrifice—and her own—challenges everything Max knows. Have the doors to his gilded cage finally opened to a freedom he’s never known?

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LPC Free Books has a suggestion. An interesting story with a surprise ending.

Abide With Me (The Barn Church Series Book 3)

Although Angelina Rousseau pours all her pent-up feelings into her paintings, when she meets a handsome stranger at a friend’s wedding in Las Vegas, she believes she’s discovered why she feels so lonely — she simply married the wrong man.

Nicholas Rousseau is a highly successful industrial engineer and has the Midas touch with his investments. Or so it seems. But when Nick is arrested for real estate fraud, his career implodes.

Angelina doubts his innocence, doubts her own love for Nick. She is certain of only one thing — this will end their marriage. But Nick’s duplicity snares Angelina and the authorities believe her to be as guilty as Nick. To protect her own future, she must sell her cherished possessions to finance Nick’s defense.

Though Nick desires to reconnect with his estranged wife, their emotionally bankrupt marriage proves more difficult to repair than either imagined. As they seek to discover what went wrong between them, the couple realize Nick could spend the rest of his life in prison.

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1531 Entertainment has a bargain suggestion from one of our often seen favorites. One I’ve read and enjoyed.

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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I’ve read and enjoyed the last two but happily, the first one is new to me.

I have one more suggestion that fits with my current read and I’ll tell you about both of them in the next post. Soon to follow.

Happy Reading.