Saturday, July 30, 2016

What Matters Most By Kellie Coates Gilbert


Deeply Emotional Writing Highlights the Complexities of Human Relationships
Leta Breckenridge is forced to drop out of college to care for her dementia-ridden mother. After learning a severely delinquent account may force her mother into a less desirable facility, Leta steps out of her comfort zone and lands a high-paying job at an Austin public relations firm. But her dream job turns into a nightmare when she learns the firm is a front for a political opposition machine--and that the research she's been collecting will be used against her new love interest, Nathan Emerson.

Nathan is a rising political star being pressured to run a bid to unseat the current governor of Texas. He's already in a relationship with a woman much better suited to be a politician's wife, but he's never met anyone like Leta. Could this feisty, challenging woman hold the key to his heart?

Pick up your copy here...
https://www.amazon.com/What-Matters-Most-Texas-Collection/dp/0800722752/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469889916&sr=8-1&keywords=what+matters+most+gilbert



Kellie Coates Gilbert has been described by RT Book Reviews as a “deft, crisp story- teller.” Her Texas Gold books were featured as Barnes & Noble Top Shelf Picks and were included on Library Journal’s Best Book List of 2014.

Born and raised in Idaho, Kellie now lives with her husband of 35 years in Dallas, where she spends most days by her pool drinking sweet tea and writing the stories of her heart.

Please visit her online at www.kelliecoatesgilbert.com

I have really enjoyed all of the Texas Gold series. But this one was by far the most intriguing. I loved the characters  and the twists in this one so much more that the others. I was trying to figure out what was going on and was sadden by the treatment of Leta by her employers and I really was sad about Leta's mom. This is the perfect book for this election year.
I did however perk up when the story was about Nate and Leta.
I have to say my favorite part was the ending. You don't want to miss this one.
I gave this 4 stars and I recommend it and the whole series.
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review. 

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Tox-Sick By Suzanne Somers



Pioneering health and wellness advocate, Suzanne Somers, delivers a powerful answer in this expose on the immediate and long-term dangers of living in a world that has become increasingly toxic to our health.  The build-up of toxins in our bodies can lead to myriad health concerns — including weight gain, food allergies, brain disorders, cancer, among many others. Moved to investigate by her own family’s plight, Suzanne sits down with environmental doctors and specialists who share eye-opening information and practical advice for how to survive, thrive, and stay healthy today. In Tox-Sick you’ll learn how to effectively detox all your body’s systems and the different survival skills that can save your life, from top experts in the field, including:
DR. SHERRY ROGERS, an environmental doctor for over 40 years, shares the truth about detoxification—and where you will likely be if you don’t take it seriously.
DR. NICHOLAS GONZALEZ shares where cancer comes from and how to manage it by detoxifying the liver and supplementing with enzymes.
DR. RITCHIE SHOEMAKER alerts you to mold toxicity, the newest threat to your brain and wellbeing…and just what to do to fight for your health.
DR. WALTER CRINNION teaches what everyday objects to avoid and the simple diet and lifestyle shifts to clean up your health and home in mere weeks!
DR. STEPHEN SINATRA, America’s leading integrative cardiologist, explains that we have been approaching heart disease all wrong: a healthy gut, detoxed body, and quality fats are each crucial and cardioprotective.
DR. GARRY GORDON shares new protocols for removing toxic lead from the body, as well as ways to keep the most important gland in your body, the thyroid, clean and healthy.
 
From diet and supplement advice to coconut oil cleanses, everything you need to live clean and enjoy great health is in your hands.

Pick up your copy here..



SUZANNE SOMERS is the author of 25 books, including the #1 New York Times bestsellers Sexy ForeverKnockoutAgeless, and the New York Times bestsellers I'm Too Young For This!BombshellBreakthroughKeeping SecretsSuzanne Somers' Eat Great, Lose WeightGet Skinny on Fabulous FoodEat, Cheat and Melt the Fat Away; Suzanne Somers'  Fast & Easy; and The Sexy Years. An entrepreneur, lecturer, singer, and actress, Suzanne currently touring with her Las Vegas show.

This is one book everyone should have on hand. I learned so much from this book.
We all want to live our best life and be heathy. This book has so many tips and  some recipes for some much needed healthy things.
I love how Somers spells it all out for us. She talks about food , supplements, house hold cleaners, so much in this book you can't help but to want to make huge changes after diving into this book.
This is a book that will stay on my book shelf and I will reefer  to it many times over.
You are going to want to give this to all of your friends who want to live a toxin free life. This would make a great book for Cancer patients as well.
I gave this book 4 stars and I recommend it.
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Until Proven Innocent By Carol Kinsey



Bethany Young is running from the law. Accused of a murder she didn’t commit, Bethany’s life is in the hands of one of her accusers. Embarking on an irreversible journey, Deputy Tanner Brenly and Bethany work to unravel the secrets that tangle her life. How can Bethany prove she’s innocent when all the evidence points to her? How can she expect Tanner to believe what even she cannot prove? Together, Bethany and Tanner must wait and trust in the Lord - until proven innocent.

Pick up your copy here...


Carol Kinsey is the author of Greater Love, Until Proven Innocent, and Under the Shadow of a Steeple. Along with her three Christian fiction novels, Carol has authored a writing curriculum, Creative Writing Through Literature, which launched in 2016. She is also a contributing author for Relationships Under Construction, and several other publications. Carol partners with authors, Amy C. Blake and Colleen Scott, speaking on developing the writer in yourself and your child. Carol, her husband, and their daughters, live on a farm in rural Ohio. She and her husband have been involved in youth ministry for over twenty years and currently serve at a small country church, which inspired her novel, Under the Shadow of a Steeple. Carol has a passion for writing exciting fiction that uplifts, encourages, and gives glory to God.

This book like all of Kinsey's books can be read and enjoyed by all ages. Her books all have a great message and you can feel the Lord's hand on each book.
I really enjoyed Bethany's story, and I was in her corner until she was proved innocent.
This is a very good fast read to fast if you ask me, I wish it had been longer.
I gave this book 4 stars and I recommend it.
I was given a copy of this book by the author for my honest review.

Friday, July 22, 2016

If My Husband would Change, I'd Be Happy By Rhonda Stoppe

Like most brides on their wedding day, you no doubt were filled with love for your husband and the hope of a happy life together. But perhaps today, as the realities of life together have settled in, those happy expectations are going unfulfilled. And it's tempting to think, "If only my husband would change, I'd be happy."
That myth is but one of many that Rhonda Stoppe dispels in her easy-to-read exploration of what it takes to experience a truly happy marriage. In the process, she addresses such important topics as
  • understanding your husband's need for your unconditional respect
  • rekindling the love that drew you to your husband in the first place
  • refusing to believe the lie that you'd be happier married to someone else
  • learning to be content in the midst of financial struggles
  • thinking about sex from a biblical worldview
If you desire to rekindle the love and hope you felt on your wedding day, this book will go a long way toward making that dream come true.
Contains discussion questions and personal reflections at the end of each chapter.

Pick up your copy here...


Rhonda Stoppe is the No Regrets Woman. She is an author and speaker dedicated to helping women live life with no regrets. With more than 20 years’ experience as a mom, mentor, and pastor’s wife, Rhonda’s wisdom and experience helps women discover significance in God and His specific purpose for their lives, connect biblical principles to everyday decisions, develop a loving marriage that others dream about, and influence the next generation by raising children with integrity.

This book has the potential to be a life changing read for many women. 
Stoppe writes about having a God centered marriage. This is a much needed book. She does not write this like most self help books. She writes from experience and from the Word she has scripture to support her advice.
You are going to love the humor and the right to the point way Stoppe writes.
This is a fantastic book to give as a wedding gift to the bride to be. I wish I had this book years ago. ALL of us married girls need to read this and take it to heart. My husbands job is not to make me happy.
I gave this book 4 stars and I HIGHLY recommend picking up a copy. Give it as a gift to brides to be, I bet they will thank you years down the road.
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.


Thursday, July 21, 2016

The Things We Knew By Catherine West



When their tragic past begins to resurface, can he help her remember the things she can’t?
After her mother’s death twelve years ago, Lynette Carlisle watched her close-knit family unravel. One by one, her four older siblings left their Nantucket home and never returned. All seem to blame their father for their mother’s death, but nobody will talk about that tragic day. And Lynette’s memory only speaks through nightmares.
 
Then Nicholas Cooper returns to Nantucket, bringing the past with him. Once Lynette’s adolescent crush, Nick knows more about her mother’s death than he lets on. The truth could tear apart his own family—and destroy his fragile friendship with Lynette, the woman he no longer thinks of as a kid sister.
As their father’s failing health and financial concerns bring the Carlisle siblings home, secrets surface that will either restore their shattered relationships or separate the siblings forever. But pulling up anchor on the past propels them into the perfect storm, powerful enough to make them question their faith, their willingness to forgive, and the very truth of all the things they thought they knew.

Pick up your copy here...

Catherine West is an award-winning author writing stories of hope and healing from her island home in Bermuda. Educated in Bermuda, England and Canada, Catherine holds a degree in English from the University of Toronto. When she's not at the computer working on her next story, you can find her taking her Border Collie for long walks or tending to her roses and orchids. She and her husband have two grown children. Catherine is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America, and is represented by Rachelle Gardner of Books & Such Literary Management.
Having previously published three popular romance and women's fiction titles, Catherine will publish her first novel through Harper Collins Christian Publishing this summer. The Things We Knew, a family drama set on Nantucket, releases July 12th, 2016.
Catherine loves to connect with her readers and can be reached at Catherine@catherinejwest.com

Love contemporary Fiction? Looking for a new author?
You have found both right here with Catherine West.
This was a really good summer read. A debut book from West but let me tell you this does not read like a new authors book.
I loved the sweet romance and the little twist. I really liked the ending. Lynnie and Nick are characters that you are going to fall in love with.
I loved the story of the dysfunctional siblings.  Really good writing.This is an author to watch out for.
I gave this book 4 stars and I recommend this book.
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review. 

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

A Different Beautiful By Courtney Westlake



When Courtney Westlake’s family was given the shocking news that their daughter, Brenna, was born in 2011 with a severe, life-threatening skin disorder, they began to discover a new and different beautiful in their lives–one that values extraordinary differences and appreciates the wonderful sameness found in humanity. In A Different Beautiful, Courtney explores what her family has discovered in raising a child with physical differences and what she has learned about true beauty. Through her personal insights and experiences, Courtney shares how you, too, can learn to find and celebrate God’s version of beautiful in your life, especially within our differences and struggles.

Pick up your copy here...


Courtney Westlake is a writer and photographer with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a passion for storytelling. Courtney is wife to Evan and mother to Connor and Brenna. After Brenna was born with a rare and life-threatening skin disorder in 2011, Courtney began blogging at CourtneyWestlake.com to chronicle family life and experiences parenting a child with physical differences and special needs. Her writing has been published on sites such as Good Housekeeping, the Huffington Post, Woman's Day and Yahoo Parenting.

Oh my what a beautiful story Westlake shares with us. This was such an emotional read.
I loved the stories that were woven in as well as Westlakes story.
In a world where we need more grace so bad, this is a phenomenal book.
Just want to give you heads up you will need a box of tissues with this one. But you will also laugh and finish this book with a huge happy heart.
I gave this book 5 stars and I HIGHLY recommend this book.
I was given a copy of this book by Wynn Wynn Media for my honest review.

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Under the Shadow of a Steeple By Carol Kinsey



It's not easy being a teenager in foster care. Tormented by verbal abuse and the threat of being separated from her brothers, Hailey knew something had to change. Hoping to find the peace they long for, Hailey, Hayden, and Grant, and their foster sister, Kyra, set out on a journey that would change their lives forever. Can Hailey keep her family together by running away? Will God heal their hurting hearts and help them find the love they long for? Hailey hopes to find protection under the shadow of a steeple.

Pick up your copy here...


Carol Kinsey is the author of Greater Love, Until Proven Innocent, and Under the Shadow of a Steeple. Along with her three Christian fiction novels, Carol has authored a writing curriculum, Creative Writing Through Literature, which launched in 2016. She is also a contributing author for Relationships Under Construction, and several other publications. Carol partners with authors, Amy C. Blake and Colleen Scott, speaking on developing the writer in yourself and your child. Carol, her husband, and their daughters, live on a farm in rural Ohio. She and her husband have been involved in youth ministry for over twenty years and currently serve at a small country church, which inspired her novel, Under the Shadow of a Steeple. Carol has a passion for writing exciting fiction that uplifts, encourages, and gives glory to God.

Even though this was a young adult book, it was one I could not put down. Kinsey has a way of pulling you in from the very beginning and never letting you go until the very end. She is pretty good about leaving you wanting more as well.
You are going to enjoy the ending. I know I did. Very well written story and loveable characters.
I gave this book 4 stars and I recommend it.
I was given a copy of this book by the author for my honest review.

Monday, July 18, 2016

Magnolia Moonlight By Mary Ellis


What Sinister Secrets Lurk in the Shadows of Yesterday?
Natchez, Mississippi—Private Investigator Nate Price and his new wife, Isabelle, need a vacation. Their coworkers generously team up to surprise them with a belated honeymoon...but the happy trip turns sour when Izzy spies her ex-husband, who appears to have taken up his gambling addiction once again.

While the boss is away, Price Investigations remains in the hands of Beth Kirby, a former police officer, and Michael Preston, a former forensic accountant. Hardly a dream team, as Beth resents working with a man who has no experience in his new job.

But Beth and Michael must move past their differences if they hope to uncover the truth behind a beloved Southern preacher's demise. The preacher's widow suspects foul play, despite the evidence indicating suicide.

With tension escalating between these investigators and local law enforcement—and new threats arising on all sides—how will Beth, Michael, and Nate hold on to faith and bring the truth to light?

Pick up your copy here...


Mary Ellis has written twelve award-winning novels set in the Amish community and several historical romances. Her latest, Magnolia Moonlight, is third of a new mystery series, Secrets of the South, from Harvest House Publishers. Before "retiring" to write full-time, Mary taught school and worked as a sales rep for Hershey Chocolate, a job with amazingly sweet fringe benefits. She enjoys traveling, gardening, bicycling and swimming, and lives in Ohio with her husband, dog and cat. Sunset in Old Savannah will release in early 2017. She can be found on the web at: www.maryellis.net or www.facebook.com/Mary-Ellis/Author

Book number three in the Secrets of the South Mysteries was just as good as the first two. It can be read as a stand alone you won't be lost, but I would suggest reading all there. There are great. If you are a fan of mysteries with lots of twists and turns then you are going to love Magnolia Midnight.
Fantastic characters and outstanding story.
I gave this book 4.5 stars and I HIGHLY recommend this book as well as the series.
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Don't go to Bed Angry By Deb and Ron DeArmond



We've all been there. He doesn't understand what she's really upset about. He thinks she blows things out of proportion. Neither of you can agree on the right course of action. In every marriage, there is conflict. And with every conflict, there is a choice for resolution. Will you ignore the issue until it seemingly goes away? Or will you work together to find peace?

In Don't Go to Bed Angry, Deb and Ron DeArmond give you permission to fight. Marriage is worth fighting for. Conflict isn't the problem, after all; the real issue is how we deal with the conflict. Combining a healthy dose of personal experience with relationship-affirming biblical wisdom, Deb and Ron demonstrate how communication through conflict can lead to greater insight and understanding of thoughts, feelings, and perspectives that can safeguard--and even strengthen--your relationship. Immensely practical features including worksheets, discussion questions, callouts, and prayers make this a definitive go-to resource to help you start fighting--together--for your marriage.

Pick up your copy here...


Deb DeArmond is an author, speaker, and coach with a focus on communication, relationships, and conflict resolution. Her writing explores marriage, parenting, in-law and extended family relationships. She is the author of Related By Chance, Family By Choice and I Choose You Today: 31 Choices to Make Love Last
. Deb is the founder of Living-Write, where she coaches aspiring authors. She's monthly columnist and feature writer for Lifeway's Mature Living Magazine, and has published more than 120 articles online and in print publications. 

Ron DeArmond has a hungryheart for the Word, and has studied the Bible for 45+ years. Ron's call to servemen is evident in his previous ministry positions with Christian Men's Networkunder Dr. Edwin Lewis Cole and Faithful Men Ministry. Ron is currently the AssociatePastor of men's ministry at Catch the Fire/ DFW and has ministered around the world. The DeArmonds live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Giveaway enter here: https://promosimple.com/ps/9e7e


It's a given  that communication is very important in marriage, that's basically what this book is about. Good Communication from both Husband and wife.
You can see the biblical principals the authors are giving in this book.
This may be a helpful book for new couples getting married. I would make a great wedding gift.
People working on their relationship could find this book useful as well.
I gave this book 3.5 stars.
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review. 

Monday, July 11, 2016

Fraying at the Edge By Cindy Woodsmall



Family, community, faith, and love.These “quilt blocks” sewn together made Ariana’s beautiful life.
When they are pulled to pieces,
will anything familiar remain?

The Old Order Amish life Ariana Brenneman loved vanished virtually overnight with the discovery that she was switched at birth twenty years ago. Now she’s immersed in the Englischer world, getting to know her mother and under the authority of her biological father, an atheist intellectual with resolute plans to expand Ariana’s worldview. Only Quill Schlabach, a childhood friend living Englisch, can help steady Ariana’s tilting ground between the two worlds, but can she trust him after so many betrayals?
 
At the same time, Skylar Nash is forced to choose rehab or spend several months with her true relatives, the large Brenneman family and their seemingly backward life—no electricity, no technology, no fun. What the young woman can’t leave behind is her addiction to illegal prescription drugs and deep emptiness from the belief that she doesn’t belong in either family.
 
New ties are binding Ariana and Skylar to the lives they were meant to have. Can they find the wisdom and strength they’ll need to follow God’s threads into unexpected futures?

Pick up your copy here...





Cindy Woodsmall is a New York Times, CBA, ECPA, and USA Today best-selling author who has written seventeen (and counting!) works of fiction and one of nonfiction. She and her dearest Old Order Amish friend, Miriam Flaud, coauthored the nonfiction, Plain Wisdom: An Invitation into an Amish Home and the Hearts of Two Women. Cindy has been featured on ABC Nightline and on the front page of the Wall Street Journal,and has worked with National Geographic on a documentary concerning Amish life. In June of 2013, the Wall Street Journal listed Cindy as the one of the top three most popular authors of Amish fiction.

She's won Fiction Book of the Year, Reviewer's Choice Awards, Inspirational Reader's Choice Contest, as well as one of Crossings' Best Books of the Year. She's been a finalist for the prestigious Christy, Rita, and Carol Awards, Christian Book of the Year, and Christian Retailers Choice Awards.

Her real-life connections with Amish Mennonite and Old Order Amish families enrich her novels with authenticity. Though she didn't realize it at the time, seeds were sown years ago that began preparing Cindy to write these books. At the age of ten, while living in the dairy country of Maryland, she became best friends with Luann, a Plain Mennonite girl. Luann, like all the females in her family, wore the prayer Kapp and cape dresses. Her parents didn't allow television or radios, and many other modern conveniences were frowned upon. During the numerous times Luann came to Cindy's house to spend the night, her rules came with her and the two were careful to obey them--afraid that if they didn't, the adults would end their friendship. Although the rules were much easier to keep when they spent the night at Luann's because her family didn't own any of the forbidden items, both sets of parents were uncomfortable with the relationship and a small infraction of any kind would have been enough reason for the parents to end the relationship. While navigating around the adults' disapproval and the obstacles in each other's lifestyle, the two girls bonded in true friendship that lasted into their teen years, until Cindy's family moved to another region of the US.

As an adult, Cindy became friends with a wonderful Old Order Amish family who opened their home to her. Although the two women, Miriam and Cindy, live seven hundred miles apart geographically, and a century apart by customs, when they come together they never lack for commonality, laughter, and dreams of what only God can accomplish through His children. Over the years Cindy has continued to make wonderful friendships with those inside the Amish and Mennonite communities--from the most conservative ones to the most liberal.

Cindy and her husband reside near the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains in their now empty nest.

If you'd like more information or to contact her, you can go to her website: http://www.cindywoodsmall.com or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/authorcindywoodsmall 

I am a fan of Cindy's so this is not going to be a surprise to most of you. I really liked book two in the Amish of Summer Grove series.
It takes right off from book one and gives you all the great details of Ariana and Skylar the babies that were switched at birth in book one.
You are going to love the story and the characters so much so that you will feel like you are watching a movie while reading this book.
I can't wait for book three. This is not your typical Amish book this a unique story. You will enjoy it.
I gave this book 4 stars and I recommend this series.
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.

Saturday, July 9, 2016

Until Then By Krista Noorman


Growing up with a distant mother and absentee father, Michelle's childhood has been far from idyllic. Her only attention comes from her partying friends and the guys who are more than happy to give her the affection she longs for. But when one party goes wrong, Michelle's grandparents hatch a plan to get her out of Chicago and away from her so-called friends. College plans are low on Michelle's priority list, especially with no money to pay for it, until her grandparents offer to foot the bill for her entire tuition. There's just one catch. Michelle must choose between three schools - all hours away from Chicago and all Christian colleges. Michelle's reluctant choice leads her to an unfamiliar place, where she's faced with new relationships and unexpected decisions that could change her life and her heart forever.

Pick up your copy here...
 
 

Krista Noorman is the author of the young adult novel, The Truth About Drew, and the Cornerstone contemporary Christian romance series. Most of her life has been spent scribbling away in journals, while documenting her every day life, but it wasn't until she took part in National Novel Writing Month that she found her true calling and turned her pen to fiction.

Krista studied music education at Cornerstone University. After college, she turned to her love of photography and spent nearly a decade running her own wedding photography business. She is constantly inspired by books and movies, enjoys beautiful instagram feeds, and loves a great cup of coffee. Krista makes her home in a small town in western Michigan with her husband and their two children. She writes about life, family, faith and whatever else comes to mind at bykrista.com.



Let me start by saying this is not your typical Christian fiction book. It has mention of sex but not in an inappropriate way. It does not go in to any detail.
We all are sinners so this is not something you have not read about or heard about. It's written in a very classy way.
Now on to the storyline it was wonderful and I should tell you that this is book two in the Cornerstone series. Goodbye, Magnolia is book one they can be read as stand alones but I am happy that read book one first so that I got Michelle a lot better.
I gave this book 4 stars and I happily recommend it.
I was given a copy of this book by the author for my honest review.

Thursday, July 7, 2016

Honor Redeemed By Christine Johnson



Two Men Vie for Her Affection--Survival Will Depend on Choosing the Right One
Two years ago, Prosperity Jones waved farewell to her beloved David as the army sent him to faraway Key West. Now with her parents gone, she has but one prospect for the future: make the dangerous journey from Nantucket to Key West to reunite with David and secure a happier life. Arriving penniless in the South, Prosperity is dismayed to find David married to someone else. Scrambling to survive and nursing a broken heart, she gains the friendship--and the affection--of a kind doctor. Could he be the answer to her loneliness? Or will her life be upended by circumstance yet again?

With a deft hand, Christine Johnson fills the reader's senses with the sights, sounds, and smells of Key West in this heartwarming story of honor lost, honor redeemed, and a love forged in adversity.

Pick up your copy here...


A small-town Michigan girl, Christine Johnson has lived in every corner of the state's Lower Peninsula. After trying her hand at music and art, she returned to her first love--story. She holds degrees in English and library studies and works part-time as a librarian. She feels blessed to write for Love Inspired and Revell.

When not at the computer keyboard, she loves to hike, kayak, and explore God's majestic creation. She and her husband split their time between northern Michigan and the Florida Keys. Christine enjoys hearing from readers through her web site at http://christineelizabethjohnson.com.

Of course I found this book to be one I could not put down. This is the second book I have read by Johnson and it will not be my last.
She writes just as well as most of my favorite long time authors.
The storyline and characters were not one you will soon forget. You can close your eyes and see they pages coming to life.
I loved the way I felt like I was in Key West.
Romance at its best. I gave this book 4 stars and I can't wait for Johnson next book.
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

The Second Half By Lauraine Snelling



Mona and Ken Sorenson are approaching the best years of their lives. Mona's greatest concern is that Ken will learn of the surprise party she's planning for his retirement from his job as Dean of Students at Stone University. They've already been making plans to travel, spend limitless hours in the garden, and Ken is looking forward to working on his woodworking and fishing with his grandchildren. It's what they deserve after years of careful planning.
But things begin to unravel when Ken learns that office politics are about to destroy his department. Can he really just leave, abandoning the work he spent a lifetime achieving? Mona is eager to build her event planning business with Ken's help, but rather than supporting her, he expresses concern that the stress of the work will send her back into the depression she struggles with.
Then, just days before Ken's last official day of work, their son, a Special Forces officer in the Army, learns he's being immediately deployed on a six-month mission in Pakistan. Since his wife left him, the only people he trusts to care for his two young children are his parents. In an instant, everything Ken and Mona spent their lives planning changes, and they will need to find strength, both physical and mental, to become parents once more. This is not the second half they wanted, and when their son fails to contact them as planned, they struggle to trust that it is God's plan, not theirs, that matters most.

Pick up your copy here...


LAURAINE SNELLING has been writing since 1980, with over 65 books published, both fiction and non-fiction, historical and contemporary, for adults and young readers. She received a Career Achievement Award for inspirational fiction from RT Book Reviews and her books consistently appear on CBA bestseller lists. A hallmark of her style is writing about real issues within a compelling story. Lauraine and her husband, Wayne, have two grown sons and live in the Tehachapi Mountains with a Bassett named Sir Winston.

I don't normally read Snelling's books but this one was sent to me and I was surprised it was a cute story. Very true to life you never know what is going to be thrown at you.
The characters are easy to relate to and the little bit of suspense that's thrown in the story was nice as well.
I gave this book 4 stars and I recommend this book as a good summer read.
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.

Sunday, July 3, 2016

Murder Mezzo Forte By Don Taylor


He is a reclusive history professor with musical hallucinations, she a headstrong professor of religion, a converted Wiccan. Earlier, they solved a campus murder, but now police say they formed two-thirds of an illicit love triangle with a newly-murdered female colleague and they're probably guilty of her murder. A leak of the alleged scandal to the college administration threatens their jobs. Their desperate attempt to prove themselves innocent of the triangle and the murder plunges them into a tangle of unsavory corporate relationships among college trustees. And it puts their lives in danger from a mysterious criminal organization that seems to have tentacles everywhere.

Can this ill-matched pair's stumbling efforts succeed against the entrenched forces of the police, the college's incompetent administration, and that powerful but unseen criminal organization? If not, they may end up unemployed, in prison, or suffering a fate much worse . .

Pick up your copy here...




Donn Taylor led an Infantry rifle platoon in the Korean War, served with Army aviation in Vietnam, and worked with air reconnaissance in Europe and Asia. Afterwards, he earned a PhD in Renaissance literature and taught literature at two liberal arts colleges. His publications include three suspense novels, one historical novel, and a book of poetry. He lives near Houston, TX, where he writes fiction, poetry, and essays on current topics.

I have to very honest I like to never got through this book.
It was a struggle to read. Not sure what was going on.
That being said this is just my opinion and this was just not a book for me.
The editing was alright and the  English was fine. Its just not my cup of tea.
I gave this book 3 stars. You may like this book, this was just one persons opinion.
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.