Threads of Suspicion: Evie Blackwell Cold Case #2

Evie Blackwell is now appointed to the Governor's cold case task force, and this time she is partnered with David Marshal. It is refreshing to have a male and female partnership without the pair becoming romantically involved. Both David and Evie have their own love interests and they are secure enough to work together and remain faithful. I love reading how they go about investigating these cold cases, how the smallest details can turn the case around. I look forward to reading more Evie Blackwell cases in the future, Dee Henderson has again created an enduring and sustainable character.

From Amazon:

Dee Henderson Pens Another Compelling Cold Case Mystery

Evie Blackwell's reputation as a top investigator for the Illinois State Police has landed her an appointment to the governor's new Missing Persons Task Force. This elite investigative team is launched with plenty of public fanfare. The governor has made this initiative a high priority, so they will have to produce results--and quickly.

Evie and her new partner, David Marshal, are assigned to a pair of unrelated cases in suburban Chicago, and while both involve persons now missing for several years, the cases couldn't be more different. While Evie opens old wounds in a close-knit neighborhood to find a missing college student, David searches for a private investigator working for a high-powered client.

With a deep conviction that "justice for all" truly matters, Evie and David are unrelenting in their search for the truth. But Evie must also find answers to the questions that lie just beneath the surface in her personal life.

About the author:

Biography
Dee Henderson is the author of 14 best-selling novels, including the acclaimed O'Malley series and the Uncommon Heroes series. As a leader in the inspirational romantic suspense category, her books have won or been nominated for several prestigious industry awards, including the RWA's RITA Award, the Christy Award, the ECPA Gold Medallion, the Holt Medallion, the National Readers' Choice Award, and the Golden Quill. Dee is a lifelong resident of Illinois and is active online

I was given this book by NetGalley.com for review purposes. All thoughts are my own.

Only Beloved by Margo Hansen

Eight years ago Delaney Dunn was enduring the worst time of her life.Her mother had died and her father was away working in the lumber camps. At age 11 she was trying to care for her younger siblings including newborn Dylan. She is at the store one-day and meets Ben Blackmoore. Her brother Dylan and Ben's little brother are lying side by side in the store. Delaney becomes ill and Ben leaves. Only Beloved occurs when Ben Blackmoore and his family return to Grand Rapids MN. I loved the theme of this book, 'All things work together for good for those who love  God and are called according to His purpose. Margo Hansen has again written an entertaining story with characters who are among some of my favorites to read about. I am looking forward to reading book 3 in her trilogy, Brother Beloved. 

From Amazon:

"You're kind of cute. If we was stayin' in this backwoods town, I'd be your feller." Delaney Dunn never forgot the words or the face of the impudent boy who spoke to her eight years ago. Perhaps it was her memory of him and the wink he gave her that kept her from being interested in the young men who wished to call on her. Only when the wealthy Blackmores showed up in town and she was face-to-face with Ben once more did she realize why she could never forget him. Ben Blackmore worked a season with one of his father's logging camps to better understand the business and thought he was ready to fill the management role his father had lined up for him, but two events in his life changed everything. First, a sky pilot led him to the Lord, and second, he met Delaney again. Ben and Delaney barely have time to become reacquainted when the town is stunned by a kidnapping. The Blackmores' youngest son is gone, and a ransom is demanded. But Delaney and her brother are also missing. Are they together? Who did this? And why? Only Beloved is Margo Hansen's second book in her Tall Timber Trilogy. Return to northern Minnesota with the Dunn family as they seek God's help to face one of the hardest decisions in their lives.

About the Author:

Margo Hansen is a Minnesota author who enjoys writing about the north woods where she and her husband Bruce live. Margo has three children and six grandchildren and loves getting the family together. Her genre is Christian Fiction Romance and she adds to that a touch of mystery, lots of adventure, and a few twists and turns to keep her stories alive. Her joy is to share the Gospel of the Grace of God with her readers.

Just The Way You Are by Pepper Basham review and giveaway

Pepper Basham has done an awesome job with her new contemporary novel just The Way You Are. Just The Way You Are is a modern fairytale complete with a Prince, a Tower, A castle with a private chapel and a witch! What more could you ask for? There are some very swoon-worthy kisses, treasure hunts, and at least one seemingly death-defying adventure on the London Eye! And woven through the pages as easily as a brook through Pepper's beloved Appalachians, is the theme of forgiveness. Through the events of the novel, both Eisley and Wes learn to accept G-d's forgiveness and also forgive themselves. I loved this novel and sincerely hope that Pepper will revisit the Barrett family in future novels.

From Amazon:
Single mom, Eisley Barrett, takes a vacation from her Blue Ridge Mountain "mom" life to travel to the English countryside in search of answers to an ancestral mystery. Burned by romance, she certainly isn't planning to stumble into her own fairy tale. Leading man and former rogue, Christopher Wesley Harrison is fighting to rebuild a new reputation after a tragedy introduced him to the power of redemption. His self-protective avoidance of romance crumbles at Eisley's two left feet and her authenticity send his heart into unscripted territory. When his past threatens to ruin their second chance at love, can some Appalachian matchmaking and letters from the grave salvage their unexpected romance?

About the author:

Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the mom of 5 great kids, speech-pathologist to about fifty more, lover of chocolate, jazz, and Jesus. Her debut historical novel, The Thorn Bearer, released in May 2015 and has garnered awards such as Reader's Favorites Award, finalist in the Grace Awards, shortlisted for the Inspy Awards, and a finalist in ACFW's Carol Awards. Her second historical novel, The Thorn Keeper, released in Feb 2016 and her first contemporary romance, A Twist of Faith, released in April 2016 with a 4 star review from Romantic Times. In December 2016, her third historical in the Penned in Time series, The Thorn Healer - released with a 4 1/2 star review from RT and a Top Picks rating.

I was given this book by the author for review purposes, All thoughts are my own.

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Just the Way You Are is my first ‘true’ Britallachian romantic comedy. Even though I’ve written comedy in some of my other novels and included elements of both Appalachia and Britain, this one embodies the tag #britallachian to the core. For those of you who’ve read some of my previous books, you know I’m a big fan of my native Blue Ridge Mountains and the Appalachian culture. You may also know that I’m a proud Anglophile.

Those two loves met in Just the Way You Are – and I tossed lots of other things I love best into the mix. What are those ingredients, you might ask?

Well, let me just tell ya! Just the Way You Are is a blend of Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian culture, big (hilarious) family dynamics, matchmaking, Britain, a swoony English hero, a quirky, magnanimous heroine, a bunch of adorable kids, Scooby Doo and Indiana Jones references, lots of humor, a historical mystery, a devious villainess, stately manor houses, secret rooms, love letters, and matchmaking all rolled into one…oh, and did I mention brain-numbing romance?

(Did anyone else feel the need to add “fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, miracles, true love….” From the Princess Bride?) J I don’t think I included torture, giants, or monsters in Just the Way You Are…but I may have the other elements in this novel J

Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating about the brain-numbing, but I do have a tendency to err on the side of overly dramatic J

Within the pages of Just the Way You Are, you’ll meet people from my own family, people from my imagination, and some people who stepped into the story without one ounce of my planning to ever meet them. This story came out of my desire to write something I love reading – spicy romance, clean humor, culture clashes, the big love of family, and redemption.

How did my heroine Eisley Barrett evolve? Out of thin air. I was washing dishes one afternoon and staring out the window into our small backyard with the Blue Ridge Mountains painting a purplish-blue frame on the horizon when I closed my eyes. Into my imagination came this ginger-headed woman walking through Heathrow International Airport pulling a hot pink bag behind her…and then, she tripped and fell. That was it. That’s how I was introduced to my insecure, hilarious, romance-loving, single-mom heroine.

And the dashing hero? Okay, this may sound ridiculous, but I was watching an interview about Richard Armitage (Thoron Oakenshield, Guy of Gisborne, etc) regarding his lovely costume drama North and South where he plays a very dashing British hero. Anyway, he was SUCH a gentleman to watch during the interview. So polite. Kind. Funny, in a sweet way, and then, out of the blue, he said the word ‘gosh’. I know, that may not be a big deal to anyone but me, but after watching celebrity interviews where every other word needed a censor, the very fact that this elegant man used the word ‘gosh’, sent my writing brain into motion. My first internal question? What if a movie star with a tender heart had been burned by the pretension and expectation of celebrity status? What kind of woman could touch a heart who’d lost his faith in love’s authenticity?

Enter my red-head single-mom toting her pink bag through Heathrow and you have the very beginning of Just the Way You Are – a story of forgiveness, second chances…and a little bit of movie magic.

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Pepper is giving away a Grand Prize consisting of:
A ‘chest’ – in JTWYA historical letters are discovered in a chest that relates to the historical storyline, so all of these lovely goodies are going to be safely inside this chest.

Chocolate – several references take place in JTWYA that compare the hero to chocolate 

A plaque about family – because that’s a main point of importance in JTWYA

A Spider-man zipper pull – Pete, the heroine’s son, is a major Spider-man fan.

English Breakfast Tea – The hero is English…swoony English

A dishcloth – again, something that relates to a scene in the book regarding the hero and dishes (twice)

Stirring spoon and measuring cups – food and cooking are a big part of Appalachian culture and fellowship, something celebrated in JTWYA

A notebook – Eisley (the heroine) is taking notes about a historical family mystery

A lovely container full of cloth flowers (for fun, and beauty) – the container says – Love and you will be loved. Loving others has an amazing way to find its way back to us (as is what happens in JTWYA)

A little plaque that reads “You are Loved” – a theme of this story

A beautiful lace doily from England (the English part of the story)

Some “Pixie Dust” a fun visualization of the ‘magic’ of romance in this story

and A copy of Just the Way You Are!!

Click below to enter.  https://promosimple.com/ps/b3e0

The Noble Servant by Melanie Dickerson

Melanie Dickerson has done it again. She has taken the beloved Little Goose Girl fairy tale and turned it into a plausible story. I love the theme of nobility and sacrifice that runs through the story. Both Lady Magdalen and Steffan learn to look for what truly matters. Avery satisfying book.

From Amazon:
She lost everything to the scheme of an evil servant.


But she might just gain what she’s always wanted . . .


if she makes it in time.


The impossible was happening. She, Magdalen of Mallin, was to marry the Duke of Wolfberg. Magdalen had dreamed about receiving a proposal ever since she met the duke two years ago. Such a marriage was the only way she could save her people from starvation. But why would a handsome, wealthy duke want to marry her, a poor baron’s daughter? It seemed too good to be true.


On the journey to Wolfberg Castle, Magdalen’s servant forces her to trade places and become her servant, threatening not only Magdalen’s life, but the lives of those she holds dear. Stripped of her identity and title in Wolfberg, where no one knows her, Magdalen is sentenced to tend geese while she watches her former handmaiden gain all Magdalen had ever dreamed of.


When a handsome shepherd befriends her, Magdalen begins to suspect he carries secrets of his own. Together, Magdalen and the shepherd uncover a sinister plot against Wolfberg and the duke. But with no resources, will they be able to find the answers, the hiding places, and the forces they need in time to save both Mallin and Wolfberg?


New York Times bestselling author Melanie Dickerson beautifully re-imagines The Goose Girl by the Brothers Grimm into a medieval tale of adventure, loss, and love.

About the author:

Melanie Dickerson is the New York Times bestselling author whose two favorite time periods are Medieval, which she has combined with her love of fairy tales, and Regency England, which stems from her love of Jane Austen. She is a 2-time Christy Award finalist, a 2-time Maggie Award winner, winner of The National Reader's Choice Award for 2010's Best First Book, and winner of the 2012 Carol Award in Young Adult fiction. She earned her bachelor's degree in special education from The University of Alabama and has taught children with special needs in Georgia and Tennessee, and English to adults in Germany and Ukraine. Now she spends her time writing, hanging out on facebook, and being with her husband, two daughters, and two guinea pigs near Huntsville, Alabama.

I was given this book by NetGalley.com for review purposes. All thoughts are my own.

Larry Norman - The Outlaw - [Lyrics]

The Chamberlain Key by Timothy Smith

I usually do not review non-fiction, but I am making an exception or The Chamberlain Key. It is an interesting book similar in nature to The Bible Codes. Mr. Smith has discovered his name and his wife's name side by side in the Torah. He claims that there is much information hidden in the original Hebrew scrolls. I am not able to read Hebrew, so I am not able to confirm or deny his findings. I enjoyed reading this book and can see that if people doubt the veracity of the Bible finding hidden messages could convince them. More proof that the Bible is a living document.

From Amazon:

Imagine you are a young, ambitious, successful appraiser of artifacts and antiquities—your services in demand by many of the most powerful individuals and branches of government in Washington, D. C.  Your future could not seem brighter—except for a troubling dream...with the same mysterious message...on the same exact date...three years in a row...

A True Story...Better Than Fiction

Timothy P. Smith, heir to a renowned family business responsible for construction or renovation of some of America’s most cherished landmarks, struggled to understand the significance of his recurring dream...until he had another dream--one that identified a specific location where it seemed he might find answers to his questions. So Timothy drove to a remote spot in British Columbia. There the adventure--which later led to a startling discovery in the oldest Hebrew text of the Bible--began.

It took the convergence of the sacred text, one man’s life, and modern computer technology to reveal messages that may explain dramatic world events, as well as influence every person alive today.

Welcome to The Chamberlain Key.

“However one wishes to interpret the meaning and significance of the text, they may rest assured that the text on which Timothy Smith bases his interpretation has almost certainly been there for a very long time, since before the birth of Christ.”
—Eugene Ulrich, Ph.D.
Department of Theology, University of Notre Dame
Chief Editor, The Biblical Dead Sea Scrolls

“For more than fifteen years I managed to keep the lid on a discovery that will dramatically redirect biblical scholarship, Christian theology, and perhaps even the trajectory of history itself.” –Timothy P. Smith

What You Will Discover in The Chamberlain Key

   • An encrypted code in Genesis, in the oldest known Hebrew text of the Old Testament, centuries before predicted the birth and resurrection of Jesus.
   •  Scientific evidence that this encrypted code was authored by the divine hand of God.
   • Signs that there are more encrypted codes in this same Hebrew text that will lead to additional messages from God to humanity
   • Hidden clues that may lead to the location of long-missing sacred artifacts, such as the Ark of the Covenant
   • Insights on why Timothy P. Smith was chosen to uncover this encrypted code.
   • A dire warning that God wants us to hear—and heed.

About the author:

TIMOTHY P. SMITH is a noted appraiser and conservator of artifacts and antiquities. He has discovered and recovered many priceless historical items, none of which has amazed and excited him as much as “the chamberlain key.” Timothy and his wife reside in Virginia.

BOB HOSTETLER is the award-winning author of more than thirty books, including American Idols and the historical novel Northkill. His books have sold over three million copies.

I was given this book by the author for review purposes. All thoughts are my own.

Just The Way You Are by Pepper Basham

epper Basham has done an awesome job with her new contemporary novel just The Way You Are. Just The Way You Are is a modern fairytale complete with a Prince, a Tower, A castle with a private chapel and a witch! What more could you ask for? There are some very swoon-worthy kisses, treasure hunts, and at least one seemingly death-defying adventure on the London Eye! And woven through the pages as easily as a brook through Pepper's beloved Appalachians, is the theme of forgiveness. Through the events of the novel, both Eisley and Wes learn to accept G-d's forgiveness and also forgive themselves. I loved this novel and sincerely hope that Pepper will revisit the Barrett family in future novels.

From Amazon:
Single mom, Eisley Barrett, takes a vacation from her Blue Ridge Mountain "mom" life to travel to the English countryside in search of answers to an ancestral mystery. Burned by romance, she certainly isn't planning to stumble into her own fairy tale. Leading man and former rogue, Christopher Wesley Harrison is fighting to rebuild a new reputation after a tragedy introduced him to the power of redemption. His self-protective avoidance of romance crumbles at Eisley's two left feet and her authenticity send his heart into unscripted territory. When his past threatens to ruin their second chance at love, can some Appalachian matchmaking and letters from the grave salvage their unexpected romance?

About the author:

Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the mom of 5 great kids, speech-pathologist to about fifty more, lover of chocolate, jazz, and Jesus. Her debut historical novel, The Thorn Bearer, released in May 2015 and has garnered awards such as Reader's Favorites Award, finalist in the Grace Awards, shortlisted for the Inspy Awards, and a finalist in ACFW's Carol Awards. Her second historical novel, The Thorn Keeper, released in Feb 2016 and her first contemporary romance, A Twist of Faith, released in April 2016 with a 4 star review from Romantic Times. In December 2016, her third historical in the Penned in Time series, The Thorn Healer - released with a 4 1/2 star review from RT and a Top Picks rating.

I was given this book by the author for review purposes, All thoughts are my own.