Showing posts with label fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fiction. Show all posts

Thursday, July 13, 2023

Book Review - The Best Summer of Our Lives

I have been waiting and waiting and waiting for the latest release from Rachel Hauck. That’s the problem with preordering. You know it is coming, like Christmas, but you can only count down until the day the clouds part and the book angels sing to announce its arrival in the mailbox. You dance your happy dance, (the neighbors are free to think what they want to think,) pluck your treasure from the box, and happy dance back inside before your glisten turns to sweaty drowned rat. You crack open the book to devour it. Then you realize this one is going to take some time. There’s a lot to unravel in The Best Summer of Our Lives. If you’re worried that you’ve overspent, please allow me to put those fears to rest. Clocking in at 376 pages, Hauck is giving you what you paid and waited for. Not a single page is wasted on frivolity and every bit of detail is pertinent. And if you think you’ve got this one figured out in the first chapter, here’s a spoiler: you don’t.



Summer, Spring, Fall and Snow are the Four Seasons, a group of friends knit as tightly together as the hours are knit into their days. The Best Summer of Our Lives focuses on the summer of 1977, the one between high school graduation and their freshman year at Florida State, the one they had planned to be the best summer of their lives. It is also the last summer these girls spent together and twenty years later they find themselves back in Tumbleweed, Oklahoma trying to figure out how to regain what was lost that year. Because if they can fix that, maybe they can also each find a way forward. Rachel Hauck threads together the individuals who make up this group and those who love them to deliver a perfect poolside read that will stick with you long after the last page.



The Best Summer of Our Lives by Rachel Hauck is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:


Baker Book House        Christian Book            Barnes & Noble            Amazon


(This is where you usually see a disclaimer, because I often post reviews of books I have received from the author and/or publisher in exchange for an honest review. There is actually no need for a disclaimer here, because I bought this one and decided to review it because it brings me joy to share great books with you and to help promote and encourage these authors who work so hard to deliver quality literature.)




Tuesday, May 31, 2022

Book Review - When The Meadow Blooms

 Ann H. Gabhart delivers tale of wounds and their healing in her new release, When The Meadow Blooms. We open to find the Meadows sisters, Calla and Sienna, still struggling to adjust to life in the home for girls where their mother left them two years ago. Mama is also struggling at the sanitarium, fighting the tuberculosis that has already robbed her of so much time with her beloved girls. In an act of desperation, Mama writes to her brother-in-law to request his assistance. Not knowing if her mother will ever recover enough to take them home, Calla leaps at the opportunity to write to her uncle after she stumbles across his contact information in a scientific article he has written.



Dirk Meadows has spent the majority of his adult life hiding the scars on his body and on his heart from the world. The fire that took his beloved Anneliese left him with daily reminders of his love and loss that cause him to limit his interactions with the outside world. Within the family farm, however, Dirk is free to study the flora and fauna that surround him and write about them. Though his estranged brother left the family farm behind, Dirk finds himself begrudgingly agreeing to bring Frank’s widow and two girls to Meadowland, a move which is not intended to interfere with his lonely bachelorhood. In spite of everyone’s best laid plans to maintain distance, Frank’s girls knead at the scars on his heart and leads to healing.



Gabhart writes with great heart and historical clarity, delivering characters who are relatable, some of whom are downright lovable. This tale of hurting and healing is well crafted, easy to read, and speaks right to the heart.


When The Meadow Blooms by Ann H. Gabhart is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:


Baker Book House            Christian Book            Barnes & Noble            Amazon


Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Wednesday, May 4, 2022

Book Review - What Remains True

Merry Anna’s quick stop in Antler Creek was not supposed to last months. But after living her life all planned according to her family’s wishes and married to the high school sweetheart who lived off Merry Anna’s success and broke their marriage vows, she has decided to start embracing new opportunities. First with a new job at an adorable little boutique and renting an old cowboy bunkhouse as her new home, then by making friends and learning new and valuable lessons on friendship, she embraces new opportunities. The handsome cowboy neighbor was not supposed to be one of those things, but the way he looks at her and the way she feels when she is around him make her want embrace Adam Locklear.


If only this was not the year he decided to focus on winning the professional bull riding championship to set up his future outside the arena. If only Merry Anna was sure her future is in Antler Creek. If only complications from the past would stay in the past and not complicate their future. Nancy Naigle writes a romance with just the perfect balance between sweetness and strife, proving her prowess once again in her new release, What Remains True.

What Remains True by Nancy Naigle is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

Christian Book            Barnes & Noble                Amazon

Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Wednesday, October 27, 2021

Book Review - Wolf Soldier

With the Lightraider Order scattered and the people of the Dragon Lands under oppressive rule, it is up to one shepherd boy and his four compatriots to fulfill the mission of the Rescuer and vanquish the wyrm before it gains full control of their world. Connor Enarian and four other new Lightraider initiates must train quickly and learn to rely more fully than ever on their Rescuer in order to find a Lightraider spy presumed dead and his talking wolf companion. Facing off against trolls, orcs, and fantastical beasts that bewilder and terrify is only one aspect of a mission that seems doomed in the hands of the untried cadets.



James R. Hannibal brings the Lightraider world to larger-than-life reality for readers in his new release, Wolf Soldier. This allegorical fantasy is loaded with references to the Rescuer that will seem very familiar to anyone who has spent time in the New Testament, but don’t be confused by the similarities. Wolf Soldier is an epic adventure based on the DragonRaid game created by Dick Wulf. The storyline is well constructed, skillfully honed, and superbly executed to draw in the reader and bring us along on the adventure of a lifetime. I spent hours thinking this would make a stunning movie, only to realize I’ve seen it in my mind as I read descriptions so crisp and clear I felt completely immersed into battle alongside the Lightraider cadets. 


Wolf Soldier by James R. Hannibal is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

Christian Book            Barnes & Noble            Amazon

Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy of theirs book to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Wednesday, September 8, 2021

Book Review - The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery

Amanda Cox brings three generations of one family together to examine the secrets we keep and the cost of those secrets in The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery. Glory Ann, the matriarch who is struggling to keep her husband’s legacy alive and provide security for her children and grandchildren through the grocery store her Clarence used to care for his family and his community. Rosemary, who holds on to store out of duty, but also the jealousy and guilt that rob her of joy. And Sarah, the woman whose childhood dreams of carrying on the family legacy were crushed by her mother’s prodding to go farther and do more than their small town could offer. Sarah’s return to her childhood home fervor to save Old Depot Grocery is the catalyst that drags those secrets into the light, slowly but doggedly, and prods all the women of Old Depot to reveal secrets that have the power to undo them or to strengthen them as they determine their own ways of dealing with the things left in the dark for way too long.


It doesn’t take long for the reader to become completely enmeshed in the lives of these women. Cox creates a family into which one is easily and thoroughly inserted, so that their stories are our stories and their life lessons are ours as well.



The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery by Amanda Cox is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

Christian Book        Barnes & Noble        Amazon

Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Friday, September 3, 2021

Book Review - Beyond the Tides

Meg Whitaker’s plans for her life went sideways ten years ago, when Oliver Ross destroyed her science fair project in a moment of impulse. She held a grudge all those years, through college and even after coming home to help her father care for her mother when a mysterious degenerative disease made it no longer feasible for Meg to pursue her education further. Back in their cozy fishing village on Prince Edward Island, Meg teaches at the local school, helps her dad with her mom, and does everything in her power to avoid Oliver. There is just one glitch in that plan: Meg’s father has chosen to sell his lobster business and license to her nemesis. Meg can not allow Oliver to win this. She declares her interest. She quits her job. She takes on the responsibility of working the lobster season alongside Oliver.

Working side by side with Oliver for the duration of the lobster season is absolute torture for Meg, but it is made worse by the way her eye keeps wandering to notice his fine features. The way he cares about her parents doesn’t help. Neither does the way he keeps saying and doing things that make Meg wonder if he is still the same old Oliver Ross. Adding to the challenge is the series of small but frustrating acts of sabotage that keep happening and the long nights of watching over the boat together. Still yet, her mother’s condition continues to baffle the doctors. Despite the long held grudge, Meg and Oliver have to work together and do what is best for her parents.

Liz Johnson delivers a story filled with heart to pull the reader into life in the tiny PEI fishing village. Anger, confusion and frustration pave the way for hope, love, and intentionally trying to make happy moments together. Beyond the Tides is the first book in Johnson’s Prince Edward Island Shores series; I look forward to reading the others as they release.

Beyond the Tides by Liz Johnson is currently available from your favorite local bookseller or online:

Christian Book        Barnes & Noble        Amazon

Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Thursday, July 8, 2021

Book Review - The Weight of Memory

Nobody writes speculative fiction like Shawn Smucker, and his new release, The Weight of Memory is positive proof that he’s at the top of his game. In his golden years, Paul finds himself as the sole caregiver for his granddaughter, Pearl. After a terminal diagnosis, Paul must find his way home to provide for Pearl beyond his days on earth. But Nysa isn’t the same place Paul remembers, and the murmurs he hears sound suspiciously like the stories Pearl tells of the silver-haired woman only she can see. It seems that Nysa is the only way forward, but getting there is going to take several steps back.


Returning to the lake where his wife drowned within days of their son’s birth, Paul must also face his old friend Tom, who struggles under the burdens of his own memories of their youthful days. Paul doesn’t know how to tell his friend about the diagnosis or about Pearl’s fanciful tales of the silver-haired woman. But Pearl’s exuberance begins to pull Tom from the depths of his own struggles. Together, Paul and Tom try to unravel the mystery of this woman before it is too late and Pearl is lost to them the way they’ve already lost their loved ones. In their grief, they find a path toward life.



The Weight of Memory by Shawn Smucker is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online.

Christian Book            Barnes & Noble        Amazon



Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions here are my own and are completely genuine.


Monday, June 28, 2021

Book Review - On The Cliffs of Foxglove Manor

Adria Banished to Foxglove Manor with the charge to find what had been stolen from her pirate father, Adria arrives to find Foxglove Manor as tempestuous as Lake Superior, which it overlooks. Nobody wants to talk about the man who is not in the turret; nobody wants to talk about the little girl who died, but sometimes shows herself. Nobody is going to give Adria any hints about where to find the treasure she must return to her father so that he will do her the great favor of disowning her.

Kailey Twenty years ago, Kailey's family vacationed at Foxglove Manor. Twenty years ago, Kailey was kidnapped, questioned, and returned home the very same afternoon. Twenty years ago, Kailey's parents died. Now Kailey and her brother, Jude, return to Foxglove Manor. On the surface, it is an ideal situation where she can be caretaker in a small retirement home that will also accommodate her autistic brother. However, Kailey is also seeking understanding and closure for what happened when she was five years old.


"He had ruined death for her, and the hope of it." Sadness settled in my bones from the opening line and stayed there for the duration of this gothic tale, buoyed only periodically by Axel's determination to keep Kailey's heart and head sighted on the One who is greater than our fears and our disappointments. A delicate balance between the gloom and the Light is accurately reflected as the characters wrestle in earnest with abandonment, disappointment, fear, and hopelessness to find hope, "By God's grace."

On The Cliffs of Foxglove Manor by Jaime Jo Wright is currently available from your favorite local bookseller or online:

Christian Book       Baker Book House        Barnes & Noble        Amazon

Thank you to my husband, who encourages me to "buy the book" when I don't have a review copy. All opinions stated here are my own and are completely genuine.

Monday, June 21, 2021

Book Review - A Lady in Attendance

Rachel Fordham's latest release, A Lady in Attendance, follows main character Hazel through her time in a reformatory as a willful, but wrongly accused, young woman and also through her struggle to clear her name and be restored to her family. There is no small amount of personal growth involved in this process, which we walk through with Hazel, her dear friends, and the family who felt it necessary to distance themselves from her scandal.

Fordham writes with conviction on the topics of shame, justice, and restoration to give A Lady in Attendance value beyond the beginnings of a romance between Hazel and Gilbert, the dentist who has hired her as his attending lady. Gilbert and Hazel's friend Ina are able to encourage away her determination to wear her shame as a protective cloak and give one more effort to clear her name so she can reunite with her family. I appreciate the way Fordham balanced Hazel's personal growth with that of those who surround her.

A Lady in Attendance is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online.

Christian Book        Barnes & Noble        Amazon

Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine. 

Sunday, June 20, 2021

Book Review - No Journey Too Far

How far would you go to find the ones you love? In No Ocean Too Wide, Carrie Turansky gave us the story of a family torn apart by the child welfare system and spread across the ocean. The younger McAlister children were taken into care as their mother fought for her life in a London hospital, but instead of being restored to their family when she recovered, Garth, Katie and Grace were sent to Canada as orphans. In No Journey Too Far, Turansky tells us just how far the McAlister family will go to restore their loved ones to the family.


Garth has fulfilled the terms of his indenture and been discharged from his military service at the end of the Great War. Now it is time to return to Canada, claim Emma as his bride, and find little sister Grace. But life has been exceedingly difficult for Emma in Garth's absence, and she's beginning to wonder if he will indeed return for her. Since he hasn't replied to her letters in months, she isn't even sure if he will be able to find her, and a murder charge is just one more roadblock to happiness for this orphan. Grace, on the other hand, remembers that she has a loving family out there somewhere. She also knows that her adoptive parents have always tried to conceal the fact that was not born to them. On the cusp of adulthood and her entry into the marriage market, Grace's greatest challenge is understanding her identity. For all they have endured, there are still more hurdles to clear before they can see the Lord's plan for their lives.

With the McAlister Family series, Carrie Turansky has shown us just some of the benefits and great costs of the British child emigration system. She has created a family for whom we can cry in the pits of their despair and rejoice in their triumphs. There is certainly no journey too far for this family, and through them we can see there is no journey too far for our loving Father to restore His loved ones to His family.

No Journey Too Far by Carrie Turansky is currently available from your favorite local bookseller or online:

Christian Book        Barnes & Noble        Amazon

Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Tuesday, May 25, 2021

Book Review - Jewel of the Nile

There are books that are read and shelved. You read them and move on, having enjoyed the foray into the lives of the characters and soon to forget them as new characters in a new novel move to the forefront. Other books are enjoyable fiction that get into your soul in a very non-fiction way. The characters and their events are fiction, but the truths are fact and prompt the reader to delve more deeply into that truth and what it means personally. Jewel of the Nile by Tessa Afshar is an excellent example of this.



Chariline has grown up an orphan in the care of her emotionally distant aunt and barely tolerated by her grandparents. When whispers reveal that her father may actually be alive, Chariline feels compelled to search to the ends of the earth to find him. In the search for her father, she must excise the scars of her heart and lay them before the One who will never abandon her. However, Chariline is not alone in feeling guilty, unworthy, unlovable, and confused about reconciling those old hurts with the Lord's truth.

In Jewel of the Nile, we are treated to the continued storyline of dear Theo, who I have loved since his appearance in Thief of Corinth and Daughter of Rome. Theo has much to teach Chariline and much to learn from her, as well. I love the way Afshar weaves their stories around beloved New Testament characters and historical figures, using rich historical detail to immerse the reader in the setting. Jewel of the Nile is a treasure among tomes, and should be savored for its rich delights.

Jewel of the Nile is available June 1 from your favorite local bookseller or online.

Christian Book        Barnes & Noble        Amazon

Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Monday, May 24, 2021

Book Review - Never Miss

It is one thing when a sniper rescues someone else's mark. It is another thing entirely when the two find that their stories intersect in an unexpected way. Add in a terrorist organization in possession of weaponized Ebola, bent on relieving Mother Earth of her parasitic occupants, and you get Melissa Koslin's explosive debut novel, Never Miss. Kadance and Lyndon hurdle through one obstacle after another, all while struggling with whatever may or may not be blooming between them. She is a former sniper in hiding from her family, an elite marksman with skills beyond compare. He is a socially awkward genius without a family. It's a perfect storm brewing intense emotions for two individuals who are logical to a fault.

Koslin breaks into the Christian romantic suspense genre with a solid premise and some highlight- worthy quotes. The story moves from one event to the next at breakneck speed, keeping with the timeline established, but sometimes leaving the reader wondering, "What just happened here?" I look forward to seeing what she comes up with for her next novel.


Never Miss by Melissa Koslin is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online.

Christian Book        Barnes & Noble        Amazon

Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.








Tuesday, May 18, 2021

Book Review - At Lighthouse Point

Suzanne Woods Fisher takes us back to peaceful Three Sister Island in her latest release, At Lighthouse Point. Blaine, the youngest of the three sisters, has returned home upon graduation from the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu and is ready to make her fine dining dreams for Camp Kicking Moose come true. She’s also ready to prove to her family that she has outgrown her baby-of-the-family identity, if only they can see it. But Three Sisters Island also changed while she was away; getting used to those changes is going to take some peace, some patience, and a whole lot of determination. While Blaine learned some valuable lessons in Paris, the Grayson family still has a lot to learn about themselves and about each other.

The Three Sisters Island series was new to me when I found At Lighthouse Point, but I am glad that I waited until I was able to read the first two books and really get to know the Grayson family before diving into the most recent release. Fisher has created a family that is truly lovable, flaws and all, as well as supporting characters with personalities as big as the frantic Atlantic. Although, At Lighthouse Point is written well enough that it could be read on its own, I recommend enjoying the entire series from your favorite spot on the beach, poolside, or in your hammock this summer.



At Lighthouse Point by Suzanne Woods Fisher is currently available from your favorite local bookseller or online:

Christian Book        Barnes & Noble        Amazon

Thank you to the author and the publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Thursday, April 29, 2021

Book Review - Present Danger

Elizabeth Goddard starts her latest series with a crash-bang and doesn't stop until the entire mystery is unraveled. Following up her Uncommon Justice series with Rocky Mountain Courage, Goddard fires hard right from the start of Present Danger. The plane crash and missing artifact are just the beginning of the dangers surrounding Detective Jack Tanner and USFS Special Agent Terra Connors. Their shared history and traitorous chemistry certainly don't help ease the stress of their investigation, and the question of who can be trusted is a tricky one at best.


It was nice to revisit some of our friends from Uncommon Justice, and I have to admit that I read Present Danger while making a list of characters whose stories I would like to follow through the remainder of the series. Divulging that list just might merit a spoiler alert, though, so I'll have to keep that information to myself. (I really hate spoilers and would never do that to you!) I can safely say the preview of book 2 reveals that Goddard's series will follow a pattern I hoped to pursue. On that note, I recommend you check out Present Danger for yourself and let me know if you agree!

Present Danger by Elizabeth Goddard is currently available from your favorite local bookseller, or online:

Christian Book        Barnes & Noble        Amazon

Thank you to the author and the publisher for allowing a copy to read and review. All opinions stated here are my own and are completely genuine.

Tuesday, April 20, 2021

Book Review - The Shell Collector

I would like to preface this review by saying that I want to grow up to be just like Maeve, the wise and caring surrogate grandmother figure and the shell collector of Nancy Naigle's latest tale of the intersection between grief and survival. Amanda and her young children are still struggling through the grief of their heartbreaking loss when they move into the fixer-upper bungalow on Whelk's Island. And although her children are the first to meet their shell collecting neighbor, they are hardly the only ones to benefit from the way Maeve rolls in like the tide to bring new joy to those around her. Maeve's own learning experiences with heartache and her gentle pull allow Amanda to open up and begin the process of learning to be who she is in this life after loss. Her experience in life and razor sharp intuition are a bountiful source of insight. Her care for the people around her is great, and I absolutely adore the way Naigle uses these relationships to express the precious treasure our elderly neighbors have to offer, if we will only open ourselves to the gifts that surround us.

Romance, restoration, and a fair amount of serendipity enter the story through Paul. Another Whelk's Island newcomer. A man who knows his own grief and struggle. And another beneficiary of Maeve's interest. The relationship between Amanda and Paul is a tenderly crafted element that shines beautifully to further illustrate our shell collector's ability to know true beauty when she sees it.


The Shell Collector by Nancy Naigle is available for pre-order now and releases May 11, 2021. Order now from your favorite local bookseller or online to get your sweet hands on this homey little tome as soon as it releases!

Christian Book        Barnes & Noble        Amazon

Thank you to the author and the publisher for allowing me a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Wednesday, April 7, 2021

Book Review - The Paris Betrayal

I learned a very valuable lesson from The Gryphon Heist and Chasing the White Lion: When James R. Hannibal releases a new book, jump on it like it's a live grenade in a crowded square. This lesson served me well when Hannibal was looking for a street team for his upcoming release and I digitally raised my hand. *pick me! pick me!* And I did NOT embarrass my nephews in a public place when I was notified that I had been chosen, but they might tell you a different story. Speaking of a different story, I'll outline my conclusion for this one and then tell you how I got there. Are y'all ready for this?


I could tell you that I was hooked between Hannibal and Betrayal, but that would be judging a book by its cover. That made me want to read the synopsis, and that, my dears, was the hook in the nose. After an op in Rome goes sideways, Ben Calix returns to Paris to find himself under attack. His Company contacts have him pegged persona non grata. This is severance. The Director has closed the door on him, and Ben has no reasoning for what is happening. But one man is on the prowl and ready to scoop Ben into the folds of his own organization. Jupiter is poised and ready to welcome Ben with open arms, and the antidote to a plague of his own engineering.

The thing about Ben Calix, is that he knows he hasn't done anything to deserve severance. This is a set-up, and if he has been fed bad intel then he needs to find the right information and find a way to get it to the Director. Because it's the right thing to do, even if it is no longer his job. The action hits like a strike to the solar plexus followed by a series of rubber bullets to the kneecap and topped off with a KA-BAR hilt to the temple, but no worries, since you'll shake it off and beg for more. Why? Because Ben needs to push through to the answers and deliver them to the man who turned his back on Ben, but can still save the world.


You wouldn't know that the majority of the writing for The Paris Betrayal, including the threat of pandemic, was done before our world faced its own pandemic. I appreciate the work James R. Hannibal did to frame this masterpiece respectfully in light of what we've all experienced over the past year, but there's also no denying that our pandemic experiences make Jupiter's plot even more terrifying. And make you crave Ben's success maybe more than ever.

The Paris Betrayal by James R. Hannibal releases May 4, so you can preorder now to receive your copy as soon as it becomes available. Also, check out the super awesome preorder giveaway from James R. Hannibal, for all you super awesome preorder-ers!

Christian Book        Barnes & Noble        Amazon

Thank you to the author and the publisher for allowing me a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own and are completely genuine.

Sunday, February 28, 2021

Book Review - The Moonlight School

 For Lucy Wilson, a six month stint assisting her father's cousin, Cora Wilson Stewart, in her role as superintendent of schools in Rowan County, Kentucky, is something to be endured in the spring of 1911. She sees the need for education among the illiterate and poverty-stricken mountain folk, but surely she has no role in their lives aside from working as Cora's scribe. By autumn, she will be back in Louisville. However, she is not prepared for the way the people in the hills and hollers work their way into her heart. With their vivid storytelling, vibrant musical tradition, and the way their clogging binds together the young and the old, these people begin to teach Lucy that there is much more to life that the proper society to which she compared them. She is also not prepared to face some very challenging new information about her family.

Cora's inspiration for a moonlit school to teach the illiterate and semi-literate adults of the county to read will empower these people and give them a voice. The mountain they will have to climb to accomplish this plan is a tough climb, but fierce determination and the leading of the Almighty give them strength to push past the barriers.


The Moonlight School by Suzanne Woods Fisher is based on true events and the life of the very real Cora Wilson Stewart, who began the Moonlight Schools on September 5, 1911. As a lover of literacy, I was intrigued by the very real Cora Wilson Stewart and Fisher's Lucy, as well as the way they worked diligently to bring education to the mountain folk of Rowan County. The way Fisher brought her characters to life did justice to the bountiful and beautiful cultural tradition she represented.

The Moonlight School is now available from your favorite local bookseller, or online from the following:

Christian Book        Barnes & Noble        Amazon

Thank you to the author and the publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are completely genuine.

Monday, February 22, 2021

Book Review - Network of Deceit

 After cracking the Cotulla case, Amara Alvarez has made it to the San Antonio Police Department Homicide Division, but she's fresh fish and her first case is a teenager who is found dead at a crowded waterpark. Never mind that her desk is wherever she happens to land, and the requisition for a desk gets moved to the bottom of the endless signature pile every time she asks for a status update. Amara has to tickle, tease, and finesse the details from any source she can find. And that's not all. What may or may not be a kid who overindulged on a steamy San Antonio day gets a shot of clarity when Amara is stalked online and the hacker starts digitally tossing her life. As if that's not enough, her personal life pivots into chaos mode in the midst of the investigation. Amara has to get creative to crack this case before it turns cold.


Tom Threadgill had us captivated by Amara from the beginning of Collision of Lies, so it's no surprise that he has skillfully upped the ante in Network of Deceit. He has brought back the cast of characters I loved from Collision; Larry, Starsky, Amara's dear Mama, and Wylie are back again supporting our girl as she kicks butt and takes names. It's thrilling to watch Amara find her footing and learn that navigating the life of a homicide detective means learning a lot about yourself in the process.


Network of Deceit is currently available from your favorite local bookseller, or online at:

Christian Book           Barnes & Noble        Amazon

Thank you to the author and the publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions here are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - The Spy Keeper of Marseille

Roseanna M. White delivers fulfilling historical intrigue with a romantic vein in her novel, The Spy Keeper of Marseille. As invaders topple...