New Release - Song of Silence - Cynthia Ruchti

Song of Silence - Cynthia Ruchti

Lucy and Charlie Tuttle agree on one thing: they're committed to each other for life. Trouble is, neither of them expected life to look like this. While Charlie retired early, Lucy is devoted to a long-term career . . . until the day she has no choice.
 
Forced to retire from her position as music educator in a small Midwestern K-8 school, Lucy can only watch helplessly as the program her father started years ago disintegrates before her eyes. As the music fades and a chasm separates her from the passion of her heart, Lucy wonders if her faith's song has gone silent, too. The musical score of her life seems to be missing all the notes. 

When a simple misstep threatens to silence Lucy forever, a young boy and his soundless mother change the way she sees--and hears--everything.

James Rubart

Dear Readers,

The 5 times I met Myself by James Rubart is a book that I was really interested in reading when it first hit the shelves here at Baker Book House.  I have read several of James’ books and they have always made me think about the message inside.  None of them are what would be considered “normal” fiction but they are just outside the norm.  He really does have a unique way of looking at things.

Brock Matthews has had a reoccurring dream.  It is so realistic that he is having a hard time letting it go.  He is talking to his father, dead for many years, and his father ends up yelling “Get Ready.” It leaves Brock confused and a bit concerned.  He eventually borrows a book on dreams and how to control them.  Suddenly Brock finds himself in control of more than his dream, he is now in control of his life choices from when he was younger.  He is ready to change his history, including winning against his brother. 

Okay so that was a very simple description of the book.  It is a bit more complicated than that, but it really got me thinking what I would tell my 23 year old self.  Who hasn’t said to themselves, “If I had only known this when I was younger.”  Well, James gives us that chance to see what might or might not happen if we were allowed to time travel and change the past. 

Of course we have all seen Back to the Future and how Marty changed things for good.  But this book makes you rethink that.  If you believe God is in control of the world then everything has happened for a reason and we should not change it, as it is what makes us who we are today.  Wow that is pretty profound from a fiction book. J 

I am looking forward to James’ next book and what adventure he takes us on next.

Happy Reading,

New Release - Counted with the Starts - Connilyn Cossette

Counted with the Stars - Connilyn Cossette 

Sold into slavery by her father and forsaken by the man she was supposed to marry, young Egyptian Kiya must serve a mistress who takes pleasure in her humiliation. When terrifying plagues strike Egypt, Kiya is in the middle of it all.

Choosing to flee with the Hebrews, Kiya finds herself reliant on a strange God and drawn to a man who despises her people. With everything she's ever known swept away and now facing the trials of the desert, will she turn back toward Egypt or surrender her life and her future to Yahweh?

New Releases - March 21- 26

Dear Readers,

I hope you all had an enjoyable Easter.  Ours was bit different because we made plans to be out of town without realising that it was Easter weekend.  So no family get together, but a pleasant time anyways.

I hope you can find a couple good books on this list to add to the TBR pile.

Happy Reading,

From Bags to Riches - Sandra D. Bricker - #3 A Jessie Stanton Novel - Jessie is moving on.  She is working hard to put Louisiana in the rearview mirror and her little boutique is starting to make a real name for itself.  But her pesky ex husband shows up and is interested in winning the new version of Jessie back.

Return to Paradise - Barbara Cameron - #1 the Coming Home series - David Stoltzfus left the Amish Community behind, encouraging his siblings to also leave mostly to escape their abusive father.   Finding a new life in the Englisch world is the only way to keep them all safe.  But now his father is dying of cancer and the girl he left behind is hoping to help him make peace with his father before it is too late.

 The Goodbye Bride - Denise Hunter - #2 A Summer Harbor Novel - Lucy has no memory of the last several months.  She has no idea why she broke it off with her fiance just weeks before her wedding.  She has no idea why she would leave town  either. All she remembers is that she loves Zac and wants him back.  But does Zac believe she won't leave again after her memory is restored?

The Hearts We Mend - Kathryn Springer - #1 A Banister Falls Novel - Evie's life is about to change.  After 13 years of just her and her son Cody, he is marrying the love of his life.  They have shared a bond since the loss of his father.  Now she finds herself becoming tangles with a guy who is her exact opposite.

Song of Silence - Cynthia Ruchti - Lucy is forced out of her job as music educator for the K-8th grades.  It has been the job of her heart, stepping into the music program, a program her father started.  After she leaves, she watches the program fall apart and she begins to wonder if even her faith song has left her.  That is until she meets a very special boy and his mother.

Counted with the Stars - Connilyn Cossette - #1 Out from Egypt - The story of Kiya a women sold into slavery, rejected by the man she was supposed to marry.  Kiya watches the plagues unfold on Egypt and decides to flee with the Israelites.  Now she has to choose between the past she knows and an unknown future.

Librarians needed

Dear Readers,

Have you  heard this story.  Fox2 of St. Louis is reporting the CIA is hiring librarians.  Hmm... sounds like fun to me.

Happy Reading,

The CIA is hiring… a $100,000 librarian

POSTED 11:04 AM, MARCH 5, 2016, BY STAFF WRITER

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) – The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency is hiring more than just spies.

The CIA currently has a job opening for a librarian.

Pay is excellent. The listed range is $50,864 to $118,069 a year — above the typical income for a U.S. family. The salary isn’t far off what some “reconnaissance” positions get.

And that’s saying nothing of the benefits.

In addition to the cachet of working at the CIA, “librarians also have opportunities to serve as embedded, or forward deployed, information experts in CIA offices and select Intelligence Community agencies.”

Translation: There may be some James Bond-like opportunities, if you want them.

Requirements for the job include a master’s degree, some prior library experience and the ability to pass an intensive background check. It includes a medical and psychological exam and a lie detector test.

The CIA also says applicants “must generally not have used illegal drugs within the last 12 months.”

Librarians play an “essential role” in intelligence gathering and managing CIA materials. The federal government employs over 1,400 librarians.

America’s unemployment rate is now 4.9%, a rate that many consider full employment. Companies (and likely the government) say they are having trouble finding skilled workers.

Job prospects for librarians are decent, but not great. The Labor Department forecasts “slower than average” growth for librarian positions.

http://fox2now.com/2016/03/05/the-cia-is-hiring-a-100000-librarian/

New Release - Flirtation Walk - Siri Mitchell

Flirtation Walk - Siri Mitchell

At West Point, Only True Love Should Lead You to Flirtation Walk
Lucinda Pennyworth, the daughter of a con man, is trying her best to leave her father's sordid past behind her. When he dies unexpectedly, she takes the opportunity to move to West Point to live with her aunt, ready to take on a new life and determined to marry a respectable man, a West Point cadet, to impress her relatives. 
                                                                                                               
Seth Westcott, a cadet at the academy, is proud to be at the top of his senior class. But when his mother dies and his sister loses their inheritance to a swindler, Seth wants nothing more than to head west to track down the con man. But the army will only send the cadets at the bottom of the class to the frontier . . . which leaves Seth with some tough choices.

When a woman trying her best to be good meets a man determined to be anything but, can there be hope for love, or will two lonely hearts be condemned to casual flirtation?

Mike Nappa

Dear Readers,

I really love the cover to Annabel Lee by Mike Nappa.  It really gives off a good creepy feel and I could hardly wait to get started.  I am going to say, this is a really interesting book and it speaks well of the series that is promised.  But creepy it is not.  In fact you find yourself drawn in by many of the different characters and their backstory. 

Annabel Lee is a very special little girl.  Her "uncle" Truck has taken care of her for her entire life.  He hasn't always been the most loving, but he made sure she was educated and fed. Other than that he didn't give her much.  Now he has left her in an underground bunker with the words "Don't open the door for anyone, not even me." 

Each of the characters that are developed in the story are ones I wanted to know more about.  Whether a good guy or bad guy, they are written so well I found myself wondering about them more and more.  Even the dog that Truck leaves with Annabel Lee makes me wonder about his training and where he came from in the first place.  An author who can do that gives a special treat to his readers and makes us excited about his/her next release.  Mike has a unique gift in his writing, one that his readers are (hopefully) going to enjoy for a long, long time.

Book #2 in the Coffey & Hill series is due for release this fall.  The Raven (I bet you can sense a trend) will continue to follow Trudi and Sam on their next adventure.  I wonder if Annabel Lee will show up again?

Happy Reading,