New Release - Every Crooked Path - Steven James

Dear Readers,

A new Steven James book before Christmas!!  Who needs an idea for a Christmas present for me?  I would be completely happy with this book, thank you. :-)   Every Crooked Path is another installment of the Bowers file, but once again it is a prequel.  So after you read Opening Moves, you can venture forth into this book and understand Patrick and what drives him even more.

Patrick gets involved in a conspiracy where everything is a lie.  He can trust nothing and yet the only way to solve an 8 year old mystery is to enter that world.  He must solve the old mystery to put an end to the killing spree that has everyone on edge.

I love reading Steven's books as they give me a good shiver as his bad guys are about as bad as they can be.  I also love reading them because they keep my attention, he is always laying little crumbs of hints to help you figure out who the bad guy is along the way.  But yet it is not easy to always figure that out.

I can't wait to get a chance to read this newest edition to the Patrick Bowers series even if it is the holidays.  What are the holidays without a little murder and mayhem.

Happy Reading,

New Release - The Painter's Daughter - Julie Klassen

Dear Readers,

There is nothing like a trusted author.  One that is kind of that go to author that you know will deliver a great story whether you actually know what they are writing about.  Julie Klassen is that type of author for me.  She is the one I will pull out when time gets a bit stressed or I just need a quiet get away from anything the resembles my life and her regency romances are about as far from my life as you can get. :-)

The Painter's Daughter is Julie's newest book and continues her strong tradition of writing.  She is gaining new readers with every book she releases and they are coming in to find her older books, which in turns firmly cements her into their reading lists.  It has been a rare thing when an author has built so much trust in readers so quickly.

Sophie Dupont assist her father in his painting studio.  She herself is a gifted artist, but she keeps that a secret.  While painting the popular north Devon coast she meets Wesley Overtree and that is where the problems begin.

Stephen Overtree comes into town to bring his brother home.  What he finds is his brother has fled the country leaving behind Sophie.  She has a secret of her own.  Stephen has cleaned up behind Wesley before and this time is no different. He offers to marry Sophie in name only and offer her protection for any scandal.

Regency romance at its best.  A big of scandal, love and the beautiful countryside of England.  What more can you ask for in a book.

Happy Reading,

New Releases - November 30th - December 5th

Dear Readers,

Do you have that hard to buy for person on your list?  Do they like to read?  We are getting new titles in everyday that will help with the gift giving in your family.

Happy Reading,

Midwife's Choice - Delia Parr - #2 at Home in Trinity - reprint - Martha Cole is trying to balance her midwife work and her family.  She is reunited with her estranged daughter, thinking about opening her heart to love again and putting up with the questions of the new doctor in town.

At Love's Bidding - Regina Jennings - Miranda accidentally auctions off a powerful families prized portrait.  In a desperate act her and her father buy an auction house sight unseen in the hopes of keeping the painting from moving again.  The problem is this is a live stock auction house not one of fine antiques.

The Painter's Daughter - Julie Klassen - Captain Stephen Overtree is use to cleaning up after his younger brother Wesley.  When Stephen arrives in Devonshire he finds that his brother has left town after leaving his host's daughter in serious trouble, he offers marriage in name only.  Will Sophie agree to the safety of the marriage or wait and see if Wesley returns to her?

Every Crooked Path - Steven James - The Bowers File - prequel - Patrick Bowers gets drawn into a international conspiracy.  No one is who they seem to be and everything is at risk, even Patrick's life.  He must enter into the world of conspirators to end a crime spree before the body count gets higher.

Christmas titles - 2015 part 2

Dear Readers,

The list is long, but with such wonderful titles and the spirit of Christmas in the air, it is time to settle in for a long winter... book read. :-)  Sorry I couldn't resist.  Enjoy the continuation of the Christmas title list.

Happy Reading,

A Christmas Bride in Pinecraft - Shelley Shepard Gray - An Amish Brides Pinecraft Christmas novel - When a break in at the Orange Blossom Inn brings two very different people together, will they be able to find common ground when love can blossom?

Secret Sister - An Amish Christmas Tale -Sarah Price - Grace is facing her first Christmas after losing her husband of 50 years.  Depressed and not sure she is fulfilling her calling, she wonders how she will survive the holidays.  Then special little gifts start arriving and Grace wonders who her Secret Sister is.

The Mistletoe Inn - Richard Paul Evans - His books have become a Christmas tradition for many many readers - Kimberly is hardly the type to seem to dream of writing romance novels.  But she decides it is time to either follow the dream or let it go.  She signs up for a writers retreats at Vermont's famous Mistletoe Inn.

Twice Blessed - Barbara Cameron - Two Christmas stories - Katie and Rosie have launched their business Two Peas in a Pod.  They may look alike and yet Katie is outgoing and Rosie lives in her shadow, until an unexpected business opportunity introduces her to a special young man.  Mark is engaged to the woman his brother Ben is in love with.  An accident gives Ben the chance to grab the happiness he believes he deserves.

Beautiful Star of Bethlehem - Lori Copeland - Arlene Santana had the perfect life, but somehow she has ended up in a rehabilitation center.  Surrounded by new friends, Arlene is happy with this new life.  Her sons come to visit and the days speed by, but why does Arlene's husband never come to visit?

The Christmas Portrait - Phyllis Clark Nichols - Young Kate is trying to get a Christmas gift to her mother in heaven.  No one is able to help her, not daddy or Uncle Luke.  Not even Pastor Simmons, who Kate was sure would know the answer.  So Kate devises a Christmas Eve plan that will forever change her life.

The rest of these titles or a collection of short stories so I am just listing titles and authors.

The 12 Brides of Christmas - Margaret Brownley/Mary Connealy/Diana Lesire Brandmeyer/Amanda Cabot/Susan Page Davis/Miralee Ferrell/Pam Hillman/Maureen Lang/Amy Lillard?Vickie McDonough/Davalynn Spencer/Michelle Ule

The Amish Christmas Gift - Amy Clipston/Ruth Reid/Kelly Irvin

A Pioneer Christmas - Lauraine Snelling/Margaret Brownley/Kethleen Fuller/ Marcia Gruver/Cyntia Hickey/Vickie McDonough/Shannon McNear/Michelle Ule/AnnUrguhart

Once Upon a Christmas - Sharon Bernash Smith/Rosanne Croft/Linda Reinhardt

A Texas Christmas - Cathy Marie Hake/Ramona K. Cecil/Lena Nelson Dooley/Darlene Franklin/ Pamela Griffin/Kathleen Y'Barbo

A Basket Brigade Christmas - Judith Miller/Nancy Moser/Stephanie Grace Whitson

Book of the year 2015

Dear Readers,

This year it took me a bit longer to find my book of the year.  I wasn’t really worried as I had a couple in mind, but they just weren’t the right one.  I finally found it when I read the third in a very loosely connected series.   In fact it is not really listed as a series and  yet background characters and some of the main characters pop up in different books.  After having read all three titles, it is a ‘theme’ or what could be called a historical group that connects them all together. 

I loved each book for some of the same reasons. Lisa’s storytelling for one, but this last one by far took my heart.  I couldn’t lay it down once I got started and yet as I raced to the end I didn’t want it to end.  I really have no idea what Lisa’s plans are for her next book, but I would be perfectly happy if she continued along this vein that she has opened for us all. 

I have had more than one reader come back to me to “complain” that they couldn’t lay the book down once they got started.  In fact one of the readers told me she almost missing an meeting because she kept reading longer than she should have and had to rush out to make the meeting on time. 

It is feedback like that that makes me secure in my pick of The Sea Keeper’s Daughter by Lisa Wingate as the book of the year for 2015.

Happy Reading,

P.S. The other two books in the series are The Prayer Box and the StoryKeeper. 

New Release - The Jazz Files - Riona Veitch Smith

Dear Readers,

A hot new series released through Kregel publishers originally released by the English imprint Lion Hudson, The Poppy Denby Investigates has hit our shelves.  The Jazz Files is the first book with book #2 scheduled to release soon.

Poppy Denby heads to London to take care of her aging Aunt Dot.  Aunt Dot is an infamous suffragette and has quite an influence on Poppy.  Dot encourages Poppy to get a job while she is in London and Poppy ends up at the Daily Globe, but her first day on the job does not start well.  A senior reporter is killed and it falls in Poppy's lap to find out who the killer is and to report on it in the paper.

A very interesting setting for a book, the exciting roaring 20's.  The age of flappers, glamour and jazz clubs.  Where people were celebrating the end of a world war with little thought of what the future held.  Add a little murder mystery to it and it is a perfect way to spend time in London while not actually leaving the comfort of your own home.

Happy Reading,

New Release - Snowmageddon - Neta and Dave Jackson

Dear Readers,

Today is December 1st and with that in mind I pick a very appropriately titled book.  Snowmageddon by Neta and Dave Jackson.  I really fell in love with Neta's writing way back when the Yada Yada Prayer group released.  I felt like she was writing me right into her stories even though she didn't know me at all.

Snowmageddon is the 5th book in the Windy City Neighbors series.   The Windy City series is actually their 5th series also, with each of them including characters from the other series in them.  Much beloved characters come home to visit and it makes for a wonderful and delightful time to catch up on their lives.

Estelle is trying to get a group home to move on to her block so her son can become one of the residence.  But as the plans become public, fears and racial tensions come to light.  Harry is under his own stress in that he may lose custody of his grandson because of a promise he made.

The neighborhood is getting stress and the tension rise as a historical snowstorm hits the Windy City and not only shuts down the city, but puts lives at risk include an unborn child.

Neta and Dave continue to warm their reader's hearts with the stories they write.  They make me almost want to find the wonderful neighborhoods they write about and move in.  Almost. :-)

Happy Reading,