Tree Swing Reading

Book winner

Congratulations to Gail!  Your name was drawn to win Julie Lessman's book Love at Any Cost.

Thanks for entering!

Tami

Review of "Cuts Like a Knife" by M.K. Gilroy

Description:

"An intense, eerie, funny and suspenseful thriller ... M.K. Gilroy's debut is a sure-fire winner." - USA TODAY
 
Detective Kristen Conner goes undercover to find a serial killer only to find herself as his next favorite target.

When Leslie Reed is found dead in her fashionable townhome, a red flag goes up in Washington, D.C. The FBI knows an elusive "organized killer" on a decade-long crime spree is at work again.  The problem is the Feds have only one tenuous lead to assist local police in the manhunt ... a most unlikely place the killer likes to find his victims.

Conner is light one her feet and packs a powerful punch - growing up in a cop's home, intense hand-to-hand combat training, and not being able to shoot a handgun straight - all encourage that. Her life is built on faith and family: she only misses church when she is fighting with her mom and glamorous TV news reporter sister - or relentlessly tracking down a ruthless killer.

Kristen is a good cop but she's never faced an adversary like the man the alternative press has dubbed the Cutter Shark.  From the opening chase scene that leads her to a back alley where a punk with a knife awaits her, to the climactic scene where she goes one-on-one with the hauntingly familiar man who is killing innocent women in her town, Cuts Like a Knife, is loaded with action, humor, a dash of romance, and wry introspection through the voice of its irrepressible lead character.

My Thoughts:

I've found another fabulous suspense author!  Another can't-miss favorite.  I really loved this book!  I thought Kristen was fabulous.  She's so real and human, with mistakes (with the best intentions) and pure heart. I was both laughing over her antics and holding my breath with the suspense of it.  I really like Gilroy's writing style and the way the storyline moves.  Can't wait to read more by him! 

If you like suspense, be sure to grab this book!  Will definitely be on my list of favorites for this year!

Book Bullets:

• My rating: 5 out of 5 stars
• Genre: Suspense Fiction
• Part of a Series: yes, Kristen Conner Mystery Series book 1
  
• Publication year: 2012
• Publisher: Worthy Publishing
  

Review of "Secrets Over Sweet Tea" by Denise Hildreth Jones

Description:

Secrets can be funny things . . .
We think they keep us safe, but more often than not, they spill out when we least expect and make a mess out of everything. It’s a truth Scarlett Jo Newberry knows all too well—a truth Grace Shepherd and Zach Craig are about to learn the hard way.

As the lives of this boisterous pastor’s wife, polished news anchor, and beleaguered divorce attorney intersect on the tree-lined streets of Franklin, Tennessee, scandal threatens to topple their carefully constructed worlds. Grasping at survival, they embark on a journey of friendship and courage, desperate to find a way back to laughter, love, and life.

 

My Thoughts:

This was excellent! I have always loved this author's books and you can tell this one came from her heart. It spoke to me in a very real way about the way shame can hurt us and harden our hearts. I struggle with false guilt and shame all the time.  Letting myself get sucked into terrible negative self-talk.  I loved what Scarlet Jo says about shame:

"Shame is a cruel companion...it's okay to feel ashamed of something you've done wrong and take it to the Lord for forgiveness. But to just walk around in shame is basically to say that God's grace isn't enough for you--that it may be right for everyone else, but not for you. That's a big ol' lie. ...And shame carries another lie, too--that we're worthy of something in the first place. That we can act a certain way and that will make us good enough or right enough. But the thing is, you can't ever be good enough or right enough. None of us can. That's why we need Jesus so much."  pg. 210

I loved watching Grace's journey toward her own dreams. A great read!  In fact, I'm now reading the non-fiction companion that Hildreth Jones wrote, Reclaiming Your Heart.

 

Book Bullets:

• My rating: 5 out of 5 stars
• Genre: Contemporary Fiction
• Part of a Series: no
  
• Publication year: 2013
• Publisher: Tyndale House
  

New Release from Michele Phoenix: "In Broken Places"

People are saying great things about this book!  "...a fantastic story of courage, love, forgiveness and faith." Doesn't the cover look great?

Title: In Broken Places

Released:
April 2013

Publisher: Tyndale House

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Series: no

Publisher's Description

 

Shelby’s life isn’t glamorous, but it is predictable—and that’s the way she likes it. A survivor of her father’s violence, she has spent a lifetime creating a safe existence devoid of dependence.  But her carefully managed life begins to crack when she becomes legal guardian to Shayla, a four-year-old carrying a secret that shatters her world.

In a drastic attempt to escape her past, Shelby accepts a teaching position in Germany, hoping for a fresh start. But as she tries to adjust to a new job, a new culture, a new daughter and the ardent pursuit of a persistent basketball coach, Shelby begins to wonder if she made the right choice—or if the past will continue to threaten the future she desires.

To find out more about Michele Phoenix, check out her website.

New Release from Candace Calvert! "Rescue Team"

“. . . had me intrigued by page 1, laughing by page 2, and in love with the hero by page 3.”
--JORDYN REDWOOD, author of Proof, Poison

Calvert is one of my favorite romantic suspense writers! Looking forward to reading her latest!

Title: Resuce Team

Released:
April 2013

Publisher: Tyndale House

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Series: yes, Grace Medical Book 2

Publisher's Description

 

Tired of running from her past, nurse Kate Callison intends to become Austin Grace Hospital’s permanent ER director and make Texas her home. Despite staff friction, she’s moving ahead. Then unthinkable tragedy wraps the ER in crime tape, bringing swarms of media, legal chaos—and a search-and-rescue hero who seems determined to meddle in her life.

For Wes Tanner, nothing beats finding someone who’s lost; he’s known that helpless terror firsthand. So he’ll expand his team’s lifeline of hope: K9 tracking, swift water rescue, even horse-mounted searches. He’s ready for anything—except Austin Grace’s prickly and dismissive ER director.

As Kate and Wes discover more about each other, new respect becomes something deeper. Kate wonders if her heart might have finally found a home. Then an unsolved missing persons case—and a startling new one—become catalysts that threaten the loss of all she and Wes have found.

To find out more about Candace Calvert, check out her website.

Be sure to check out book 1 in the series too!

New Release from Kathy Macias: "Last Chance for Justice"

Welcome to Bloomfield, where life is simple, love is real, and stories are shared.

Title: Last Chance for Justice

Released:
April 2013

Publisher: B&H Books

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Series: yes, Bloomfield Series Book 2

Publisher's Description

 

Lynn Myers is still reeling from losing her husband of thirty-five years when word comes that her only sibling, an older brother, has also died. With no one else to settle the estate, she must return to her small hometown of Bloomfield, however briefly, to settle his affairs.

Lynn’s daughter, Rachel, has just graduated from Bible college and with no other commitments comes along to sort through her uncle’s huge old home, right next to the local cemetery.

It isn't long before Rachel has two men -- a handsome CPA and the youth pastor -- seriously vying for her attention. At the same time, Lynn's attention is drawn to a set of journals her brother has left behind detailing a long-standing Bloomfield mystery.

As they pursue solving this mystery, Rachel must make some personal decisions about her future, while Lynn is forced to face unexpected issues from her own past.

To find out more about Kathy Macias, check out her website.

2-Books Series Giveaway! "Heroines Behind the Lines" series by Jocelyn Green

Everyone's loving this series!  Here's your chance to read them for yourself!

First some housekeeping. How to enter...

Here are the rules for the giveaway:

1. Post a comment below.

2. In the post include an answer to the random question of the week.

Today's Question: April showers bring May flowers...what have you been showered with this month?

My Answer: First, WORK! I've got a lot of work for April and May.  Second, BOOKS! I've got a TBR pile that's taller than me...two times over!  Wish I could work and read at the same time! 

3. Be sure to leave some way for me to reach you should you win (an email preferably).

4. Closing date to enter for this book is: May 3. Winner will be announced on May 4.

Today's Books are the first two books in the series "Heroines Behind the Lines" by Jocelyn Green.

Book 1: Wedded to War

Description:

Tending to the army's sick and wounded meant leading a life her mother does not understand and giving up a handsome and approved suitor. Yet Charlotte chooses a life of service over privilege, just as her childhood friend had done when he became a military doctor. She soon discovers that she's combatting more than just the rebellion by becoming a nurse. Will the two men who love her simply stand by and watch as she fights her own battles? Or will their desire for her wage war on her desire to serve God?

Wedded to War is a work of fiction, but the story is inspired by the true life of Civil War nurse Georgeanna Woolsey. Woolsey's letters and journals, written over 150 years ago, offer a thorough look of what pioneering nurses endured. This is the first in the series "Heroines Behind the Lines: Civil War," a collection of novels that highlights the crucial contributions made by women during times of war.

Book 2: Widow of Gettysburg

Description:

For all who have suffered great loss of heart, home, health or family; true home and genuine lasting love can be found.

When a horrific battle rips through Gettysburg, the farm of Union widow Liberty Holloway is disfigured into a Confederate field hospital, bringing her face to face with unspeakable suffering-and a Confederate scout who awakens her long dormant heart.

But when the scout doesn't die she discovers he isn't who he claims to be .

While Liberty's future crumbles as her home is destroyed, the past comes rushing back to Bella, a former slave and Liberty's hired help, when she finds herself surrounded by Southern soldiers, one of whom knows the secret that would place Liberty in danger if revealed.

In the wake of shattered homes and bodies, Liberty and Bella struggle to pick up the pieces the battle has left behind. Will Liberty be defined by the tragedy in her life, or will she find a way to triumph over it?

Inspired by first-person accounts from women who lived in Gettysburg during the battle and its aftermath, Widow of Gettysburg is the Book 2 in the Heroines Behind the Lines series. These books do not need to be read in succession.  For more information & resources about the Heroines Behind the Lines series, visit www.heroinesbehindthelines.com.

New from the amazing Robert Liparulo! "The Judgment Stone"

I really like this series and can't wait to read this one!  I'm mad I've got all this work to finish this month, because I just want to READ.  Don't miss this series by Robert Liparulo, he's one of my favorite suspense authors ever.

Title: Judgement Stone

Released:
April 2013

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Genre: Suspense Fiction

Series: yes, Immortal Files Series Book 2

Publisher's Description

The Clan is on a mission to defy God by destroying those with the strongest faith.

When a group of ruthless immortals—known as The Clan—attack St. Catherine's monastery at the base of Mt. Sinai, they steal one of the world's holiest artifacts: a piece of stone from the Ten Commandments. Those who touch the Stone can see into the spiritual world: angels, demons, and the blue threads of light ascending to Heaven that signal the presence of believers who are connected to God.

Only Jagger—a spiritually wounded husband, father, and former Army Ranger—and Owen—an immortal himself—have any hope of stopping the Clan's horrific plans.

But another group of immortals, who believe that Jagger's wife holds the secret to salvation, is after her. Torn between stopping the Clan and protecting his family, there are no easy answers for Jagger. Laying aside his faith in high-tech gadgetry and in his own strength and abilities and embracing true faith isn't easy for someone who has resisted for 3,000 years. But it may be the only key to his salvation.

To find out more about Robert Liparulo, check out his website.

Check out book one in the series too!

New Contemporary Fiction: "A Season of Mysteries"

I was first introducted to author Robert Whitener in last year's Christy Award nominees with his book A Season of Miracles, which was excellent! So excited to see the series continued!

Title: Season of Mysteries

Released:
April 2013

Publisher: Kregel Publications

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Series: yes, Seasons Series Book 2

Publisher's Description

Some may think the ability to recall entire conversations verbatim is a remarkable gift. But to fifty-year-old Dr. Richard Powell, it is a disruptive burden. He is being haunted by words. The words take him back to 1976, to the unforgettable summer when he and his friends of Boy Scout Troup 44 first witness an epic conflict between good and evil.

Faith was relatively new to Zack, Donnie, Skeeter, and the other boys who had played together on the 1971 champion Little League team. That baseball season was forever imprinted on their souls, due in large part to the life-changing actions of a boy named Rafer. But this summer--1976--they would discover the real depth of their souls and the dangerous influences battling for control of their lives.

A follow-up to Whitener's acclaimed debut novel, "A Season of Mysteries" takes readers back to a time between the innocence of childhood and the uncertainty of teenage years; where girls, studies, and life's bigger issues become a reality. With the same gripping prose that made Whitener an award-winning screenplay writer, "A Season of Mysteries" explores the seen and unseen spiritual powers at work and the Ultimate Power who controls it all.

Erin Healy's New Suspense is Out! "Afloat"

Erin Healy writes fantastic suspense!  People living on a "floating community" and surrounded by danger...sounds so scarey...and a perfect suspense!

Title: Afloat

Released:
April 2013

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Genre: Suspense Fiction

Series:no

 Publisher's Description

Dark waters are rising.

There’s sabotage lurking in the waters of Eagle’s Talon, an elite floating community designed by gifted architect Vance Nolan. There’s also something else in the water—a mysterious presence friendly to some and hostile to others. And when disaster strikes, not even the saboteur expects it to be the first in a series of crushing blows.

Stranded by a flood and surrounded by unnatural darkness, a limping band of residents, builders, and investors set their sights on escape. Single mom Danielle Clement will do whatever it takes to save her young son Simeon, but she doesn’t know who to follow: her charismatic lover and aspiring politician Tony Dean, who dotes on her and her boy, or the selfless Vance, who promises protection for everyone who stays with him—based on a vision and a faith she doesn’t share.

In this watery world where everyone's secrets will eventually come to light, survival might have more to do with uncovering the truth than with getting out alive.

To find out more about Erin Healy, check out her website.