Christy awards

Dear Readers,

I had the privilege of attending the Christy Awards last night.  It was an awesome experience.  Not only did I share the room with the whose who of Christian fiction, but the room is filled with people with a passion for fiction.  I was blessed.

I want to congratulate any and all who nominated.  All the titles and their authors deserve to be the winner, but then again there can only be one winner in each category.

Congratulations to the winner!
 Contemporary - The Storykeeper - Lisa Wingate
Contemporary Romance - Suspense -  A Broken Kind of Beautiful - Katie Ganshert
Contemporary - Series - The Amish Blacksmith - Mindy Starns Clark & Susan Meissner
First Novel - Feast of Thieves - Marcus Brotherton
Historical - The Sentinels of Andersonville - Tracy Groot
Suspense - The Color of Justice - Ace Collins
Visionary - Once Beyond a Time - Ann Tatlock
Young Adult - Storm Siren - Mary Weber
Historical - Thief of Glory - Sigmund Brower - Also Book of the Year

If you haven't read them, do yourself a favor and get started on them now.

Happy Reading,

New Releases - June 22 - 27

Dear Readers,

The Summer reading season is in full swing.  Everyone has a chance to sit outside relaxing until twilight sets in.  I love this time of year.  We all stay up to late, enjoy each other's company and mother nature.  Of course a good book is never far away. 

Happy Reading,

Refining Fire - Tracie Peterson - #2 Brides of Seattle - Militine works at the Madison Bridal School in Seattle.  It is the prefect place for her to find from her past and not worry about romance.  No one will want to marry her because of her secret.  Thane also hides a dark secret, one he thinks might match Militine's.   Can two hurting souls help each other?

In Good Company - Jen Turano - Millie is determined to be the best nanny ever.  The problem is her playfulness and enthusiasm is not what people are looking for in a nanny.  She has one last chance to prove herself, hiring on as a nanny for Everett Mulberry, who has become the guardian of 3 children.  Will this unlikely family be able to figure out who are the most important people in their lives?

Gone without a Trace - Patricia Bradley - #3 Logan Point - Detective Livy Reynold's has never believed her cousin left town of her own accord.  When a PI from Texas contacts her with a  case eerily similar, Livy knows she maybe able finally find out what happen to Robyn.

A Bride at Last - Melissa Jagears -Silas is trying to recover for a life of poor choices.  When his estranged wife contacts him, he sees it as a chance at a fresh start.  Kate believes after Anthony's mother passes away that she will be his new parent, that is until 2 men show up claiming to be his father.

The Innocent - Ann. H. Gabhart - After the war between the states ends, Carlyn is in limbo.  The last word she had of her husband was that he was missing, but no one seems to know for sure what happened to him.  She is looking for some where to live and finds comfort with the group of Shakers in the area.

Irish Meadows - Susan Anne Mason - Courage to Dream #1 - James O'Leary will do anything to save his family home - Irish Meadows.  Even bulling his kids into marring people they don't want to.  Brianne and Colleen find themselves in situations they never dreamed and long for follow their own dreams instead.  But do you go against your father?

Love Arrives in Pieces - Betsy St. Amant - Stella and Chase know each other from a life time ago.  She went on to live in the beauty pageant world, he to live a life with his fiancée.  After being hurt they are both back home just trying to survive.  Will these two hurting people be able to help each other find love?

Sharing Libraries

Dear Readers,

Can you imagine if you found this little library waiting for you when you got to the beach?  Oh happy day even if I brought I book I would find myself browsing the shelves just so see what others had left on the shelves.

I have seen pictures of more and more of these "sharing" libraries popping up everywhere.  We had one just down the street from our old house.  The lady that lived there loved to share her books with anyone who was interested and she found it a wonderful way to connect with her neighbors.  She lived on a very busy bike path and she was surprised by how many people stopped and at least looked at the books.

Some will take a book and return it later, others have taken one book while leaving a completely different one and still other, well there are some books she has never seen again.  But she doesn't care as that was point of the library, letting others read her books. 

She has talked to people who have stopped that were on a bike trip.  They had been riding for several days across and around Michigan and just happened to take the section of bike trail that went past her house.  They were so excited to see the little sharing library that they stopped to browse, my friend went out to greet them and ended up inviting them in for lunch.  It was such a unique experience and made all the work to make sure the books stay dry and safe all year round worth it. 

Last I heard she and her husband have actually made her little sharing library bigger as more and more people continue to stop by.  She is excited that something so small can have such a big impact on her neighborhood.  But we all know that books are like that all the time.

Happy Reading (and sharing),

Susan Mason

Dear Readers,

One of my favorite things about my job is that I can read anything I want, just to get a feel for a new author.  No excuses, just saying I had to read it.:-)  Irish Meadows by Susan Mason was such a book.  I wanted to read it because it was set on a horse farm on Long Island in the early 1900’s.  America was just starting to flex its muscles, becoming the place where hopes and dreams really did come true.

James O’Leary is one of those whose hard work paid off.  He worked hard to make sure his family had enough of everything.  He did well with his horse business.  He was able to become of the rich in the area and his wife and children lived comfortably. That is until recently.  Now he is desperate to save Irish Meadows.

He starts to pressure his daughters into marrying certain men.  The girls, on the other hand, do not worry about finances, they are hoping to marry for love.  Brianna has long been in love with a young man who has lived with the family since his mother died. Her father has other plans for him also. 

I had just read a pretty heavy book and returned from a trip abroad.  I needed something that I could just enjoy and this book fit the bill.  With a beautiful backdrop and a young lady who was just feisty enough to cheer on, I had a fun time reading this book. 

The art department did a wonderful job on the cover.  They did a great job of making it eye catching so that you want to pick up the book and read about the woman pictured on the front.  Do yourself a favor, pull up a comfortable chair and enjoy.

Happy Reading,

New Release - Flying Affair - Carla Stewart

Dear Readers,

One of my all time favorite movies is Second Hand Lions. Love that movie, but one of my favorite parts of the movie is where the two older gentlemen by an airplane, fix it up and learn how to fly it.  What fun for them if not so much for their neighbors and family.  It does lead to a sad part of the movie, but I always think of how exciting to fly that must have been for them.


A Flying Affair by Carla Stewart has that feeling.  Mittie Armstrong has only had one great passion in her life.  Horses.  That is until barnstorming pilot Ames takes her for a ride in his plane, then her passion turns to flying.  Flying as often as she possibly can.  She finds out that her passion is also sweeping the nation because of Charles Lindbergh. 

British aviator Bobby York flies into town and offers her something that Ames has not, flying lessons.  She can learn to fly her own airplane and maybe even enter the Women's Nation Air Derby. But with all her ambition and spunk, Mittie has to decide where her heart is really leading her.

The glamour of being a barnstormer, the excitement of the first flights of aviation and of course a feisty leading lady of course that makes for a wonderful and intriguing read.

Happy Reading,  

New Release - Hope Harbour - Irene Hannon

Dear Readers,

I can only imagine the reaction of Irene Hannon's editors when she approached them with the idea for a new book she wanted to write.  She is one of the reigning queens of romantic suspense, a genre she helped create.  Now she wanted to write contemporary issue driven books? 

Well to say it went very well for her and her readers maybe just a small understatement. Hope Harbor is the third of her releases in the contemporary and each one has done very well, thank you.  Her readers are snapping them off the shelves and loving every minute of them.

Tracy Campbell never wanted to leave her families' third generation cranberry farm, but sometimes life doesn't go quite as planned.  Because of love she had moved away, living a life that has left her with more than one scar. 

She is back now, ready to help the farm back on to its feet and to put her tragic past behind her.  She is gun shy about love and it is not on her agenda of things she needs, but then in walks Michael Hunter, a visitor with secrets all his own.  Will these two hurting people be able to help each other find happily ever after again?

Gentle peaceful and wonderful to just relax and enjoy.  Irene had a great idea and all her fans hope she continues on with this wonderful edition to her writing list. 

Happy Reading,

New Releases - June 15 - 20

Dear Readers,

I give up, I have no way of reading every good book that comes into the store.  I surrender, the publishers win, they have officially printed more books than I can hope to read... 

Happy Reading,

Beyond the Ashes - Karen Barnett - #2 The Golden Gate Chronicles - In San Francisco in 1906, Ruby is looking for a new purpose as her brother's assistant.  She arrives shortly after the great earthquake and knows that helping the city rebuild will help her.  What she didn't know was she may have a second chance at love.

A Flying Affair - Carla Stewart - With aviation fever spreading across the nation, Mittie is determined  to win the Women's National Air Derby and is prepared to do almost anything to make it happen.  But when her rival in the air becomes her rival in love, Mittie has to figure out if the cost is worth it.

The Rescued - Marta Perry - #2 Keepers of the Promise - Judith is trying to mend a rift between her husband and his teenage brother.  She turns to a women from many years before who learned to ask for help from others.  Will Judith be able to stand up for her beliefs and help those she loves?

Agenda 21: Into the Shadows - Glenn Beck/Harriet Parke - Everything changed in America when the UN passed agenda 21.  Now the people live behind compound walls and serve the Authorities.  Emmeline and her husband have heard rumors of those who live outside the wall.  Are the rumors true?  Can Emmeline and David reach the "Shadows" before the Guard catches them?

To Capture Her Heart - Rebecca DeMarino - #2 The Southold Chronicles - 1653 on what will become Long Island, New York.  Heather Flower's wedding is interrupted when a rival tribe attacks and kills her groom.  Rescued by Dirk Van Buren she is brought to a friend home where Heather Flower needs to decide to follow her heart or stay true to her friend.

Hope Harbor - Irene Hannon - Life happens and Tracy finally finds her way back to the cranberry farm she never wanted to leave.  She also carries a tragic secret, one that makes her want to stay away from romance.  That is until she meets Michael, who has also sworn off romance.

Dani Pettrey

Kristy Cambron

Dear Readers,

 

After reading The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron I could hardly wait to see what she was going to do next.  Finally A Sparrow in Terrezin arrived and I was so excited to get started.  I waited until I was headed out on vacation and disappeared once again into the story of Sera and William.

 

Once again Kristy blends a contemporary story with a historical story.  Using WWII as the backdrop we meet Kaja this time.  She is a young lady whose parents risk everything to send her and her sister out of Poland as the Germans march in.  She finishes her education in Palestine and moves to England to work.  Her heart is back in Prague with her parents, but she knows she is safer in London.  That is until she reads the headlines about the death camps and how thousands of Jews are being killed.  She know she needs to return to try to save her parents. 

 

Sera and William are in for their own battle.  One that may cost William his freedom.  Someone in the company sold several pieces of art without the board of director's permission and seems to have pocketed the money. All the evidence they have points to William.   Sera needs to find the evidence that will correct the mistake and may also answer some of her questions about what happened between her husband and his father. It is a story that no one will talk about. 

 

I was just talking to a fellow employee about wars on our home soil.  We here in America have no idea what that is really like.  What is it like to have an enemy army march onto our land and tell us they are taking over and we are now all required to do what they tell us.  That may even include turning in our neighbors because of their religion or family background. 

 

Neither one of us had answer to what we would do if that would happen here.  The thought of running and leaving everything we own behind to try to save ourselves and our family was just not something we could really relate to.  But books like this make you remember that throughout history, people have been trying to save their families in the best way possible and sometimes it meant that they all ended up in a prison camp together. 

I have said this before and just recently, I love when fiction books generate conversations like this.  Suddenly history comes alive and we can maybe actually learn something from it.  I would love to say that we have learned from what the Nazis did, but history since then has proven that it not true.  There are still things going on in the world today that we know are the same as during WWII, maybe not huge death camps, but still one set of people trying to rid the world of another set of people and the rest of the world stands by and watches. 

 

And all that from a fiction book. Amazing.

Happy Reading,

P.S. I received a copy of this book from book look bloggers for my honest review.

New Release - Married Until Monday - Denise Hunter

Dear Readers,

Sunshine, warm temps, and a chair next to your favorite lake/pond/pool, what can be better than that.  In my book (no pun intended) nothing except a really good book to go along with it.  Married Until Monday by Denise Hunter is that perfect summer read.  Light, full of laughter and fun it is an easy fit in a beach bag and one you will want to share with your friends after finishing it.

Ryan tried to move on from his divorce but he didn't do a very good job of it.  He sulked, got angry and even bought her dream house.  Now he rambles around in that big old two story all by himself, missing her more than before.  He just needs a chance to win her back and he may have just received the golden opportunity.

Ryan and Abby are both invited to her parents 35th wedding anniversary celebration.  Abby has never told her parents that they had divorced  and Ryan sees this weekend as a chance to prove to Abby he still loves her. 

Now we all know that plans like these never go well.  With loads of laughter, some tears and romance Denise takes us down that rocky road of love and marriage in one short little weekend. 

Pull up a beach chair, get out the sun glasses and enjoy.

Happy Reading,

New Release - Direct Hit - Mike Hollow

Dear Readers,

Fresh from a trip to London, I have been enjoying several TV shows set there.  Including Sherlock starring Benedict Cumberbatch.

It is always fun to read a book that has landmarks you have seen yourself.  That is one of the reasons I am looking forward to reading Direct Hit by Mike Hollow.

Set in London just as the Blitz starts.  Detective John Jago is called to a scene of a body discovered in a van.  Before he can start his real investigation the Blitz starts and wipes out the crime scene.  He will have to do all his investigating by asking questions about the deceased and what he finds is a man with many secrets and more than one person who has a reason to kill him.

There is nothing better that a murder with more than one person who could be guilty.  This looks like it is going to be a great start to a historical mystery series.  I can hardly wait to get started and figure out who-dun-it.

Happy Reading,

New Releases - June 8 - 13

Dear Readers,

Schools are out for the summer.  The pace of life seems to slow down a bit for a couple of months and that outdoor reading chair is begging to be filled.  Need a couple of ideas?  Here a few new titles that will make excellent companions for those warm summer nights.

Happy Reading,

Until Shiloh Comes - Karl A. Bacon - #1 the Shiloh Trilogy - At the battle of Shiloh during the Civil War Stanley is shot and wounded along side Aaron a Confederate soldier.  When Aaron's family comes looking for him, Stanley, on the condition of receiving help, tells them where to find him.  When the Matthews bring him home, everything begins to change.

Day of Atonement - David A. deSilva - What happened in Jerusalem between the pages of Malachi and Matthew?  The story of Jason is written about the time leading up to the Maccabean revolt.

Direct Hit - Mike Hollow - The Blitz Detective - (from the backcover) - A corpse is discovered in a van in the backstreets of West Ham.  Detective Inspector John Jago recognizes the dead man as a local Justice of the Peace... But then a German bomb Obliterates all Evidence.

Summer's List - Anita Higman - Even though Summer has her bookstore and her beloved granny, she longs for something... someone more.  An unexpected trip open the door once again for romance for Summer.  Will it all work out this time for Summer?

London Tides - Carla Laureano - #2 the MacDonald Family Trilogy - After the death of a close friend, Grace returns to London hoping to rekindle the flames of romance.  But Grace hurt Ian once before when she chose her career over him and he isn't ready to trust her again.

Empire's End - Jerry Jenkins - The story of Paul.  What was the apostle really like?  What was it like to walk along side Paul before and after his conversion?  With great research Jerry gives us a glimpse of the answers to those questions.

Married Until Monday - Denise Hunter - Chapel Springs Romance #4 - A chance to win back the love of his life.  Ryan is given a golden opportunity to win back his ex-wife when they are both invited back for her parents anniversary party.  How hard could that be?

Murder Freshly Baked - Vannetta Chapman - Amish Village Mystery #3 - Amber thinks she has seen it all, until notes warning that some of the pies at the Amish bakery are poisoned.  Who would want to poison a pie? and then write notes warning people about it.  With the help of Hannah Amber is determined to figure out the mystery before anyone gets hurt.

Katie Ganshert

Dear Readers,

Sometimes you read a book and it touches a cord in your heart and you are not sure what the connection is.  I had that recently with The Art of Losing Yourself by Katie Ganshert.  I still wonder if part of the reason I liked the book so much is because my Grandparents used to help take care of a family owned hotel here in Grand Rapids.  Ironically it was on the corner across the street from where I work now.  No hotel anymore, just a strip mall.

To my young heart there was something romantic about living and working at a hotel.  The family my grandparents worked for had their home as part of the hotel.  That is where their children grew up and of course there was a wonderful pool in the summer for us to use and horses out back.  Hard to believe when you drive by here now.

But anyways, that has nothing to do with Katie’s book which was so much fun to read.   I love her characters and how honest they are.  They have real emotions that deal with the big issues they are facing.  Even though it was a sad moment of the book, I completely enjoyed when Carmen had a bit of a break down in the parking lot of a store.  She ran over the sign for parking for expectant mothers.  Then she backed up and did it again.   Now that is a real person’s reaction to the stress of having to buy yet another baby gift when you are unable to have children.

Carmen on the outside looks like she has it all together.  Her TV audience loves her and she has the reputation for getting the weather right all the time.  People invite her into their homes every morning and feel like they know her.  Carmen would be the first to tell them, they don’t.  They have no idea that she longs with her heart to have a baby.  They have no idea that she and her husband are barely speaking and she has no idea how to fix that and heaven forbid they find out she has an alcoholic mother. 

Gracie on the other hand seems to be easy to read.  She is a gothic, lost child who fights against authority.  But is she really?  When she runs away from home in search of the one place she always felt loved and ends up at her older sister Carmen’s home, we start to see another side of her also.  The one she doesn’t really want anyone else to see.

I think that is why I so enjoy Katie’s books.  She writes characters that reflect who we all are behind the scenes.  Her characters are people we all know and Katie gives us a chance to really learn who they are and maybe even get a chance to learn how we can help them.  Alcoholic parents? Nope.  Struggle with infertility? Nope.  But with this book I got a chance to see what that was like and how to walk alongside them, helping in ways I may have never thought of. 

I love when fiction books do that. 

Happy Reading,

New Release - 5 Brides - Eva Marie Everson

Dear Readers,

As I look over the different books that Eva Marie Everson has written, I realize what a versatile author she is.  Mystery, romance, contemporary, humor and historical.  She has written is almost every genre and I have to say I have not read them all, but the ones I have read, I loved.  So 5 Brides, Eva's newest release got my attention, not only because I love her writing, but because it has a beautiful cover.

Just after WWII 5 very different women share a flat in Chicago. Some to follow their own path, some to find a husband and one to support her family.  Each one is very different and yet they are all enjoying a bit of freedom and the new rules for women after the war.

One Saturday afternoon they are window shopping in Chicago and spot a wedding dress that they all fall in love with.  After trying it on and dream about what ifs... they decide to pool their money and buy the dress.  Each with a different dream in mind.  Will each be able to wear the dress when she marries the man of her dreams?

The 50's was a very different time in America's history.  We are home from any world wars and women have found a new strength to stand on their own.  Because of the work most of them or the mothers and sisters did during the war, they are ready to stretch their wings and see if there are other things available to them besides a husband and kids.

Eva gives us 5 very different stories to give us 5 different views of what that would be like.  Her characters are real and usually someone I would like to meet.  That is probably why I like her writing so much.  She makes me want to move into her books and live there. 
I am looking forward to meeting these woman and making new friends.

Happy Reading,

New Release - The Case of the Sin City Sister - Lynne Hinton

Dear Readers,

The Case of the Sin City Sister is book #2 in the Divine Private Detective series by Lynne Hinton.  They are a fun little series about a nun who finds out that like her father, she has a knack for solving mysteries.

For Sister Eve she isn't sure if it is actually a calling or a temptation meant to draw her away from her true calling.  She needs time to figure out which direction to go and so she takes time off from the convent and becomes a PI along side her father. 

When her troublesome sister, Dorianne, seems to go missing, Eve takes matters into her own hands to find her and make sure all is okay.  The search for Dorieanne leads to Sin City itself and becomes are race for her life.  Will Eve be able to understand the clues before something sinister happens?

Written with a bit of roughness around the edges, Lynne captures some very interesting characters.  Eve and her father has this certain quirk that makes them very believable as PIs.  They are fun to read about and it is entertaining to walk along side them and solve the mysteries. 

The mysteries themselves are not easily solved and that make for a very fun read. 

Happy Reading,

New Releases - June 1 - 6

Dear Readers,

I love that the summer reading season has gotten off to such a wonderful start.  The great titles continue to roll in and it looks like there is no end in sight.

Happy Reading,

Water from my Heart - Charles Martin - Charlie Finn has made a place for himself on the fringe of privileged society.  Providing something that "if he didn't do it someone else would."  But when tragedy strikes his partner and friends family, Charlie begins to rethink his life.

Centralia - Mike Dellosso - Peter Ryan wakes up to an empty house.  He doesn't remember the car crash that kills his wife and daughter, but when he finds a note from his daughter he begins to question what is real and what isn't.  Soon he is on the run trying to discover what to believe.

Drawing Fire - Janice Cantore - #1 Cold Case Justice - The only lead Abby Hart has on a possible serial killer is a very irritating private investigator.  Will she be able to figure out who is murdering elderly women and why before Luke drives her crazy or before something else develops?

Five Brides - Eva Marie Everson - 5 independent women who live together are out shopping in downtown 1950 Chicago.  They spy a wedding dress and decide to pool their money and buy it, even though none have a steady boyfriend.  What will their future hold and who will get to wear the dress?

 

Justified - Varina Denman - alcoholic #2 Mended Hearts - Fawn feels the judgment of others because of her unplanned pregnancy.  It is a judgment that she herself has passed on others over the years.  What her heart longs for is forgiveness, hope and love.

The  Case of the Sin City Sister - Lynne Hinton - #2 A Divine Private Detective Agency Mystery - Sister Eve is unsure if her newly found gift is actually a gift or just a temptation.  She takes a leave of absence from the convent to figure it out.  When her sister goes missing Eve sets out to find her and may end up finding the answers she seeks.

A bookstore in Venice

Dear Readers,

On our trip a couple weeks ago my husband and I visited Venice Italy for the first time.  What a wonderful, beautiful, unique city.  Because of what it is, a city built on the sea, the pace slows down because there is no motor vehicles allow.  Also because of the canals and bridges, there is not even bikes.  Walking is required no matter where you are going.  Or of course boats, but that is a different story and also so much fun.

On one of our walking journeys around Venice we did exactly what all those who had been suggesting doing, we got lost.  It is difficult to get completely lost because you are always between the Grand Canal and the ocean, but it felt like lost because we didn't know quite where we were in relationship to our hotel. 

Because of our wanderings we stumbled on a tiny little bookstore.  A bookstore that was packed to the ceiling with books.  You could tell right away that the owner of the bookstore did not run his story because he loved to sell books, he ran it because he loved books.  Period. 

He knew his store well, when someone asked about something he could find it, but who wanted to be helped right away.  Personally I wanted to wander amongst the  aisle for hours and just breathe deeply of that wonderful book smell. 

All the titles were in Italian and so I didn't buy anything, but I did recognize some of the covers.  Which made a connection across language barriers, I speak no Italian and the owner spoke some English, but I told him I work in a bookstore in America and he loved that I still shopped in a bookstore across the world.  "You must be a lover of books to shop at a bookstore on you holiday." 

It is amazing how quickly that connection was made.  Us booklovers are everywhere and sometimes even a language barrier is not enough to keep us apart.  We can point and smile and somehow the understanding is there. 

I couldn't find that bookstore back on a bet, but it really was one of the highlights of my trip.  A chance to meet a fellow booklover and find an instant friend.

Happy Reading,

Suzanne Elizabeth Anderson

Dear Readers,

One of the challenges of the reading challenge for this year was to read a 500 page book.  I really thought it would be one of the more difficult ones to do.  There are a couple of other ones that will be hard to do, but a book over 500 pages is quite a time commitment and what if the book is not good?  Then you have to decide if you want to keep going or not.  Well, I found A Map of Heaven by Suzanne Elizabeth Anderson while researching another book and it sounded kind of interesting.  I thought I would like to see if I can carry it here at the store so I ordered it.

When it arrived I found out it was 692 pages long and I thought I would never be able to read it.  Well, I started it after I landed in Italy a couple of weeks ago and it captured my attention right away.  You meet Elizabeth whose quiet safe life is about to be interrupted by a diagnosis of a terminal brain tumor.  Suddenly her nice safe life seems like a waste.  She wants answers to her question of “where is Heaven?” and "what is it like?"  She has been asking those questions ever since losing her father at the age of 11. 

We go on the journey with Elizabeth to find answers to these age old questions.  People have asked those questions since the fall and each of us have to find the answers for ourselves, but God is willing to help us along the way. 

This was more than just an interesting fiction story, it is also the journey that Suzanne herself took after her diagnosis of breast cancer.  It is a book that would be a wonderful read for a study group as I think it would lead to incredible discussions of what is talked about in the book.  I think one of the most interesting aspects of this book is how much it lines up with what the Bible says about Heaven and also God.  Not everyone is going to agree with what is said and used to point Elizabeth towards the correct answers, but ultimately this book is the story of God’s pursuit of us and his love for all mankind.

I recommend that you take the time to read this 700 page book.  It is very thought provoking and didn’t always leave me comfortable with the answers that I found.  But I did enjoy it and I finished it long before my 2 week vacation ended. 

Happy Reading

 

New Release - To Win Her Favor - Tamera Alexander

Dear Reader,

Tamera Alexander quickly became a fan favorite when her historical novels started hitting the market a few short years ago.  They not only include a lovely romance, they are set is beautiful historical settings that make you want to go back in time and be part of the story.

In Tamera's newest series, A Belle Meade Plantation, she sets it at a plantation you can still visit today.  If you get a chance go on her website or facebook page and you can see the different times she has visited the plantation and all the fun things you can do while there.

In To Win Her Favor Tamera not only has the romantic setting the gorgeous Belle Meade she includes the Thoroughbred racing.  In 1869 Tennessee was the center of the racing world, not Kentucky as we think of it now and with the rich history behind the story, we are off on a wonderful adventure.

Cullen has sworn off racing after being forced to leave his home in England because of a scandal that nearly ruined him.  He comes to Nashville looking for a new life, one without horses.  But when horses is all you know it is hard to start over with something else and when he gets an offer that is hard to refuse...

Horses, hoop skirts and romance, the perfect book for passing the summer days.

Happy Reading,

New Release - Walking on Water - Richard Paul Evans

Dear Readers,

Having just gotten back from a vacation it seems a bit weird to be talking about taking another one.  But Richard Paul Evans series The Walk makes me want to walk around the U.S. and see the sights and meet the people that Alan met. 

Alan lost his wife and company and faced bankruptcy all with in a few short weeks of each other.  He walks away from it all, literally.  He decides to hike from his home in Seattle to Key West and hopefully find himself along the way.


In Walking on Water Alan is reaching the end of his journey.  He has learned things along the way that you can't learn while driving through the different areas of the country.  Alan faces one last crisis that might upend his travels and force him to stop, but a new friend and the return of an old friend should be the help he needs. 

I have loved the "behind the scenes" of America that Richard has brought us through out this series.  It is a wonderful look at what makes America great.  It isn't just our huge cities and beautiful landscape, it is those that live and work across America that make it the glorious country we know and love.

No time for a vacation this year?  Grab the Walk series and enjoy America in a way most of us will never experience.

Happy Reading,

New Releases - May 25 - 30

Dear Readers,

Today is my first day back in the store after a two week vacation in Italy and London.  Well that is if I decide to come back...  Just in case I decided to stay longer, here are a few more titles to get a head start on the summer reading season.

Happy Reading,

Now and Forever - Mary Connealy - #2 Wild at Heart - Shannon is swept over a cliff by Tucker.  When their adventure in the wilderness ends up with them getting hitched, life gets just a bit different for Tucker.  He is use to being alone and now he has a wife, one he finds himself falling in love with.

Hearts made Whole - Jody Hedlund - #2 Beacons of Hope - Caroline takes over the running on the Windmill Point lighthouse when her father dies.  She doesn't know how long it will last as a woman is not allowed to do that on her own.  So when Ryan arrives she believes her time is up, until Ryan's failings make it difficult for him to run the lighthouse by himself.

A Perfect Ambition - Dr. Kevin Leman/Jeff Nesbit - #1 The Worthington Destiny - William since an early age has been groomed for greatness.  When things shift he finds himself in the running for Capitol Hill.  Is he willing to give up the board room for the Senate or will family secrets destroy and chance he has?

Desperate Measures - Sandra Orchard - #3 Port Aster Secrets - Kate Adams has finally found the "miracle plant' that maybe the reason for her father's murder.  She is willing to risk anything to find those answers, even her relationship with Detective Tom Parker.

To Win Her Favor - Tamera Alexander - #2 Belle Meade Plantation novels - Maggie Linden is sure her mare is able to win the new Peyton Stakes.  Her father agrees to allow her to run if Maggie agrees to marry a man she has never met. 

Whenever You Come Around - Robin Lee Hatcher - #2 Kings Meadow Romance - Charity returns to Kings Meadow to make a book deadline, even though it was a place she vowed to never see again.  Her dog causes an accident that leaves tour guide Buck Malone laid up and Charity is left to help him recuperate.

An Empty Cup - Sarah Price - Rosanna is an empty cup.  For years she gave completely of herself to serve her abusive husband and the community.  After his death, Rosanna is given another chance to find herself back, but she has to learn that one empty cup can not fill another one.

The Proposal at Siesta Key - Shelley Shepard Gray - #2 Amish Brides of Pinecraft - Penny always obeys her parents, that is why when she sneaks out to see the Knoxx family speak.  Especially their son Michael.  Michael is ready to leave the celebrity life behind, but is he brave enough to face an unknown future?