Ellen Byron

I want to share why this ornament is particularly special to me. It commemorates a CA park treasure I happened upon while doing research for my research trip last October: Calaveras Big Trees State Park. It's tucked away about a half hour from the absolutely charming town of Murphys. There's a bakery where I bought some of the best apple strudel I'll ever eat on the road up, and we found a fabulous burger joint in Arnold on the way down. We live in a country with the most extraordinary natural beauty. Mountains, oceans, swamps, plains, buttes, canyons. Let's take a national vow to cherish and preserve it. Celebrate the beauty of nature wherever you live. And fight for its survival if you have to.

Capturing Sisimo My Review

My Weekend Read done! What a delightful yet edge of your seat thrill ride. As the characters travel from Colorado to Tennessee and the end up in Virginia as their trail is followed by the bad guys. Leaving the question How? It seems almost their every step is followed or anticipated. I have read several titles from The Styker Force Series by Sara Prow Blackard and I can easily say each one is just as good as the previous. Without a doubt the Ever After wedding was The Best. One of my favorite parts is the author writes each title completely stand aone But ... The Stryker Force Team make appearances allowing the reader to enjoy the characters again.

Susan Boles is the USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author of romantic suspense, cozy mysteries and sports romance. Susan is a seventh generation Tennessean and currently resides in the Pickwick Lake area of the state. Her background includes many years in the securities regulatory industry, but her passion for writing led her to pursue a career as an author. She began writing in 2007 and published her first novel, an historical women’s fiction centered around the post-civil war years in West Tennessee. And based loosely on one of her own family members. A lifelong long love of all things mysterious led Susan to write the Lily Gayle Lambert cozy mysteries. Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden were the first to show her that girls can be crime solvers. Agatha Christie showed her that even small towns have big secrets. And Phryne Fisher showed her lady detectives can be outrageously individual. A love for romance and danger led Susan to write books in Elle James’ Brotherhood Protector’s World. These books are linked to the Lily Gayle Lambert Mysteries and feature some of the same characters. Susan’s currently hard at work on a new sports romance series centered around a women’s softball league team in the fictional town of Pickwick Dam, TN. The first book in the series will be released later this year. Susan has been awarded the Reader Favorite gold and silver awards, and also the Indy Publishing award for best book. She has received three Green Apple awards for excellence in writing.

Susan Boles

Susan Boles a situation like this. She knew his real reason for never visiting Mercy. It was the elephant in the room each time she visited him at a duty station. There, but never discussed. “I think you may have gotten some bad Intel there, Hank.” Hank leaned toward Ian. “You could be right. I wasn’t able to get Mr. MacKenzie to tell me who’d told him about us. And I doubt a lot of people in Mississippi have heard of us. I just extrapolated that since your mother lives there it must have been her.” Hank laughed. “Maybe Mr. MacKenzie has been keeping track of you all these years and knew about us that way.” Ian felt a bead of sweat slide down his back. He would bet every penny he had that he was the last person Matt MacKenzie would be wanting back in Mercy after what had happened all those years ago on graduation night at Mercy High School. The night he’d left Mercy behind. Along with Matt’s daughter, Piper. -- Susan Boles www.susanbolesbooks.com

New Releases

August 12th New Releases Picking Up the Pieces by J.B. Abbott https://amzn.to/4lqGKsn The Mango Murders by Lucy Burdette. https://amzn.to/4mAQcKz Klepto Kitty by Kathi Daley https://amzn.to/4omAiFg A Delusion of Death by Gin Jones https://amzn.to/41CGAGZ My Big Fat Fatal Wedding by Kari Lee Townsend https://amzn.to/4mmd40s A Slaying at the Ski Lodge by Ellie Alexander https://amzn.to/4m7Xju3 A Crumble of Chaos by Simone Stier. https://amzn.to/4mvcCN6 Read Between the Limes by Viriginia K. Bennett https://amzn.to/4oDadCb #NewReleaseTuesday

Echos of Darkness by Darlene L. turner

Echoes of Darkness" is a suspense novel by Darlene L. Turner, featuring Constable Oaklynn Brock, who must confront her family's dark past while investigating a series of suspicious deaths in a small town. The deaths bear a striking resemblance to the crimes of her father, a serial killer known as the Suicide Slayer, leading her to believe a copycat is on the loose. As Oaklynn and Caleb Greene, a member of a special task force, delve deeper into the case, they uncover connections to a local cult and confront their own secrets, all while facing a terrifying new threat.

Authors Help Kerrville

I'm honored to be a part of the Hope Runs Deep Multi-Author collaboration to support the Kerr County Flood Relief. My romantasy novella, Chivalry in the Meadow, is in the works, and I will be updating here and on my page as the project comes along. Now I must get back to writing it!

The Underground Book by Terry Overton

Anout the book Underground Book Readers’ Greatest Test is Here. After a long and dangerous journey, The Underground Book Readers can almost taste freedom—but reaching the free land won’t be easy. Reunion Crossing is their final trial, a place where enemies wait, and their chance of survival is determined by wit, speed, and faith. With their mission hanging in the balance, the Underground Book Readers must risk everything to escape the World Force once and for all. Will they reunite with lost family members and find the safety they’ve been searching for? Or will the enemy strike the final blow? Reunion Crossing delivers edge-of-your-seat adventure, faith-filled resilience, and an unforgettable ending to a powerful Christian dystopian series.

Detecting Concealed Evidence by Dana Mentink

About the book panicked call sends detective Chase Wolfe and his search-and-rescue bloodhound, Tank, racing right into the path of his neighbor—who’s just barely escaped an abduction. But Pilar Alonso has no idea who’s after her or why. Now she must rely on Chase to keep her safe while they work together to track down the unknown assailants targeting her. Only, their investigation reveals layers of a much more sinister agenda, and danger is rapidly closing in. Drawn into a web of deceit, can they untangle the mystery…before they’re permanently silenced? From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith. Security Hounds Investigations Book 1: Tracking the Truth Book 2: Fugitive Search Book 3: Hunted on the Trail Book 4: Following the Clues Book 5: Detecting Concealed Evidence

Dana Mentink Interview

Dog Days of Summer An interview with Dana Mentink 1 Do you have a furry friend that keeps you company or is your office assistant? Junie is my faithful writing and life companion. 2 What is your favorite snack while your writing? I try not to snack while writing because I’m writing all the time, however, I do enjoy nuts of any kind and a handful of blueberries. 3 Can you share your typical day schedule? I write every day except Sundays. The weekdays are usually 7-3, with lots of dog walking breaks and such. 4 I am a quilter and as such we have several projects going on. Do you? I am a very enthusiastic though not very talented gardener. 5. What genre do you write? Mystery and suspense. 6. What state in the U.S. would you like to visit to research for a book? I would love to see the Florida Everglades! 7 Choose one place to write . . .A secluded island. A cabin in the woods or a busy city? I’m going to have to say my backyard garden. The island and cabin and city sound great, but nothing beats my little sunny porch. 8 You are meeting one of your characters for dinner. Who would you choose? I think I’d like to meet Pilar from Detecting Concealed Evidence. She’s a quiet, thoughtful musician and I think we’d have a great conversation. Where would you go? 9 Beach or Mountains. Mountains. 10. Favorite season Spring, summer and fall. Anytime there’s sun and flowers. Make up your own ? And answer it Dana:d question What book are you reading right now? The Mystery Guest, by Nita Prose

About the book Book overview In the heart of Big Sky Country, where the rugged beauty of Montana surrounds her, Emma Pearl Smith finds herself on the run from one of the most dangerous Mexican cartels operating in Montana. With a target on her back and nowhere to hide, she seeks refuge in the one place she never expected - with a rodeo cowboy who lives by his own code of honor. Her boss is killed by the cartel, just as she is about to begin her vacation in Bozema, and her escort, Nathan Smalls, helps Emma go on the run, changing her name to Pearl Hayes. On their way to Billings, Montana, cartel members catch up to them on the highway and begin shooting. Surprised by a DEA task force set up to stop semi shipments from the cartel, Emma and Nathan escape being killed. But with gunshot serious wounds, they are sent to the Billings Clinic. Enter Destry Walsh, a battle-hardened Delta Force veteran whose life has revolved around keeping others safe. He's working as an RN when a young woman is brought in with a gunshot wound and sent into surgery, and the ICU, his floor. With a police guard on her door and knowing she'll need protection once she is released, he volunteers to hide her and protect her at his ranch. When he takes on the job of Emma's bodyguard, he quickly discovers that protecting her is more than a duty - it's a fierce, unyielding passion that ignites in the face of danger. As they get to know each other, the line between shy protector and the shy secretary becomes blurred, igniting a connection neither of them can resist. With the cartel closing in and a shadowy past that threatens to unravel their fragile sanctuary, time may be running out. When he takes her to her first rodeo at the Buffalo Bill Cody Stampede in Cody, Wyoming, on the fourth of July, on their first date, she makes one fatal mistake. In the dusty stands of the rodeo ring beneath the star-studded skies of Cody, Wyoming, love and danger collide, forcing them to fight for their future. Montana Delta Rodeo Protector: Bodyguard Protector is a heart-racing romantic suspense that will leave you breathless and rooting for a couple forged in adversity, where loyalty and love are tested against the most formidable odds. Will they find the strength to survive, or will the past tear them apart forever?

Happy. Tuesday

Christmas in July fea Dana Mentink

child’s life is on the line in the first faith-filled romantic suspense thriller in the Roughwater Ranch Cowboys series from the bestselling author. After putting his serial killer brother in prison, former US marshal Mitch Whitehorse chooses a solitary country life—until his brother escapes. Now Mitch’s former sister-in-law, Jane Reyes, needs protection . . . for herself and the toddler she’s kept a secret. Mitch still isn’t sure of Jane’s innocence in his brother’s crimes, but to keep his nephew out of a killer’s grasp, trusting her is his only option.

Christmas in July Book feat

About the book After a scandalous arrest in San Francisco, Carissa Carmichael has moved back to her small Southern California hometown to start over as she opens her Aromatherapy Apothecary shop and reflexology services. A tourist destination, Oak Creek Valley, seems the perfect place to put the past behind her, but it seems no one will let her forget. When she finds the man who threatened to drive her out of business murdered in her shop, Carissa becomes the primary suspect, especially when her fingerprints are found on the murder weapon. Despite her father's position as Oak Creek Valley's chief of police, most townspeople assume she's guilty. Refusing to run again, Carissa knows she must prove her innocence to save her shop and save her father's career when the investigating detective turns his focus on her. With suspects acting as slippery as the essential oils she distills, it's up to Carissa to apply pressure and sniff out the truth before it's too late.

Christmas in July feat Check Out by Debra Parmley

i read this one a few years ago. i found my Amazon 5 star review https://www.amazon.com/Audible-Check-Out/dp/B0CY94HYVJ/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=H4RKJ68OYE&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.kBNoAdJfTr4-uEuKVRWhagiPOiyMI2iNqF_UkQ5kcXHYa7aVuSAF_5kWo8mLQSlfu2td7ED63e3DpxJveBzjP0E89QC2wqeIgaGfFWAcFl8.Z62z1sTwL9RtTYohaeSsfutQfD__FzC2WfzsNWHMK1Q&dib_tag=se&keywords=check+out+debra+parmley&qid=1751568990&sprefix=check+out+debra+parmley+%2Caps%2C302&sr=8-1 Go grab a copy

Christmas in July Book Bargains

Best June Read

THE PLOT IS MURDER by V.M. Burns Kensington Trade Paperback November 28, 2017 After Samantha Washington’s husband dies, she decides to quit her job as an English teacher and follow through with their dream of opening a Mystery Bookstore. However, when the realtor who listed the building for sale, and tried to stop Samantha from purchasing, is found dead in the back courtyard, the police think Samantha is a good suspect. With the help of her grandmother and her friends from the retirement home, Samantha sets out to find the murderer. Opening a mystery bookstore is only one half of Samantha’s dream. The other half of the dream includes writing a historic British cozy. This unique mystery series will include two mysteries – the one in the book, and the one being played out in real life.

Mailbox Monday feat Author Darlene Turner

About the author Darlene L. Turner is an award-winning author and lives with her husband, Jeff in Ontario, Canada. Her love of suspense began when she read her first Nancy Drew book. She's turned that passion into her writing and believes readers will be captured by her plots, inspired by her strong characters, and... https://www.amazon.com Darlene writes a lovely blog with devotional posts. https://darlenelturner.com/blog/ visit Darlene's websitto sign up for the newsletter you'll receive this dhort story e to sign 🛑 up for the newslette

Books and Tea

 Welcome to Tea Time Tuesday. 

Today I am gathering a few Tea Themed Cozy Mysteries

 Have you read them yet? 

 

What would you nibble on? 

 

Just a thought

Maybe a little snack to nibble on while I choose a book 

What would you nibble on? 

Must Read Monday

 

The book I am featuring today is a ReRead that is how good it is! 

I bought the Kindle version on Amazon ,in 2020 when the book released.  

 

Buy the book on Amazon 

Click Here

At the the time I was reading every affordable book I could find.  

So I got to meet a lot of new to me authors like Sara Blackard. 

I enjoyed my intro. To this series.  

The series began with Zeke and Sam (Samantha) love story.   

 

Weekend ReRrad feat Falling For Zeke by Sara Blackarf

https://www.amazon.com/Falling-Zeke-Romantic-Suspense-Security/dp/B09598BL9S/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=DWC609CWNJR2&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.cW3boYfemFtwrt7HzM2tmgX--UbOkJFuqFlnYhn-uXA4edRI-xfoVipBZcm5rf1fL0cauhUyLHt0CGkbWKaNCTwBV1nizhX9wa6J1WmthcsS-zJAw1Kz8G2amXNQTGJBXpnQYZk6uPhui0b8jCcOXz4ul4yt8lEKny-Jybhly__lZW3_PsHq3UTQnmILbKQkTOQX2pd733FhfEb5goZwhA.2v2WK3tyAMeseCbwXo5G3oS-qq4o70YTPJLGx9kNfaU&dib_tag=se&keywords=Falling+for+Zeke+sara+blackard&qid=1749834189&sprefix=falling+for+zeke+sara+blackard%2Caps%2C194&sr=8-1 

Cozy New Releases

Here

 A Body at the Book Fair 

by Ellie Alexander 

Life is good for Annie: she’s found healing at the Secret Bookcase, her beloved Agatha Christie-themed mystery bookstore in the cozy town of Redwood Grove, and is on the brink of launching her very own detective agency. But she’s still haunted by one unsolved case: the murder of her best friend Scarlet ten years ago   

Available for Preorder on Amazon 

Click Here

Murder Takes a Vacation 

 by Laura Lippman 

Mrs. Blossom has a knack for blending into the background, which was an asset during her days assisting private investigator Tess Monaghan. But when she finds a winning lottery ticket in a parking lot, everything changes. She is determined to see the world that she sometimes feels is passing her by. Format: 

Available on Amazon 

Click Here

Foul Play in La Playa

 by Amy Patricia Meade  

When their two closest friends take off for Mexico to get married, Stella and Nick gladly head south of the border to help them celebrate. It’s been brutally cold back in Vermont, and the small resort they’re staying at is a sun-drenched paradise. But then they learn that the previous occupant of their bungalow died mysteriously, and not long after that another guest turns up dead. Suddenly all their hopes for a tropical escape from winter—and murder—melt away when they get dragged into the investigation. Format: 

Available on Amazon 

Click Here 

Murder Italian Style 

by Diane Vallere 

When style expert Samantha Kidd plans a holiday in Italy, she expects scenic piazzas, endless pasta, and maybe a little romance—not a murder mystery older than her passport. Samantha’s idyllic vacation comes to a screeching halt when a favor for her host pulls her into a decades-old mystery and lands her in more hot water than her morning espresso.

Available on Amazon l

in The Dog House by VM Burned My Review

 

About the book  

Her new canine companion is a lot more loyal than her ex-husband—but that doesn’t mean she wanted him dead….
 
Lilly may be losing a husband but she's gaining a toy poodle. That could be seen as a win-win, since her new adopted pooch Aggie (named after Agatha Christie) is cute and adorable, and Lilly's dirty dog of a spouse is cheating on her with a blond bimbo—except for one problem: Albert Echosby’s just been murdered, and Lilly is the number-one suspect.
 
With the cops barking up the wrong tree, it's a good thing her best friend Scarlett "Dixie" Jefferson from Chattanooga, Tennessee, decided to take a break from the dog club circuit to pay a visit, along with her own prize pair of poodles. With help from Dixie, her defense attorney daughter, and a blue-eyed man in blue with a K-9 partner, Lilly is determined to collar the real killer. But when a second murder occurs, it's clear they're dealing with one sick puppy . . .

And I thought  

5 Stars

It is always fun to stumble onto book 1 of a series. 

I have to say I knew I would really enjoy this one. 

I have read a few titles from the author.  So I knew I had a page turner. 

 

The characters are delightful and charming. 

From main character Lilly who jumps across the conference room table at her lawyers to strangle  Bambi  tart her husband was stupid enough to bring along. 

Lillie's best friend who "packs: a gun in her  who is in town for a dog show. Is a sassy senior. 

Lillie's daughter Stephanie is a lawyer and helps her mom her estranged almost rx gets shot. Stephanie keeps her mom from talking to much and getting herself in trouble. 

Even though if course she is innocent. 

Blue Eyes the first police office a K9 detective that tells Lillie if her husband's death.  Blue Eyes seems to have eyes for Stephanie. 

The four  get  together and investigate and find some sneaky business going on. 

The dogs play a huge role in the story and help wrap everything up and hold the bad guys down till the police arrive. 

In the end reader is left waiting for Book 2 with a few questions when Lillie mentions relocating.  

So what is going to happen to Blue Eyes and Stephanie?  

I enjoyed the audio version on You Tube

Buy the book  

Available on Amazon 

Click  Here

Jackie Layton Saturday featured Author

 

Jackie Layton Author of Spunky Southern Sleuths. 

I’m Jackie Layton, I write cozy mysteries with Spunky Southern Sleuths. I’ve lived my entire life in the South. Kentucky then Georgia, back to Kentucky and now the coast of South Carolina.

As a child I loved to read and play with my dolls and Barbies. In high school I dreamed of writing stories, but I didn’t pursue the dream until my youngest son was in high school. One day it hit me I better learn how to write or it would never happen.

I enjoy exploring the Low Country of South Carolina so much I chose it for the location of the fictional town of Heyward Beach. I also have contracts for two more cozy mystery series. One is set in Texas and the other in Georgia.

Weeding Out Lies is the first book in A Texas Flower Farmer Mystery series. Clover Covered Corpse is the second book in this series, and Bleeding Heart Librarian is the third. 

Follow me on Bookbub. https://bit.ly/34kiwLW to 

https://jackielaytoncozyauthor.com/look-whos-reading-bite-the-dust/

Jackie has a fun page on her website of folks reading one of her titles. 

https://jackielaytoncozyauthor.com/look-whos-reading-bite-the-dust/ 

Here's the link to the main website. 

There you can sign up for Jackie's Newsletters. 

Sweets of Doom by Wendy Meadows My Review

 

Book overview

An amateur sleuth in a small town, and a respected school teacher found dead… Will Margaret bring light to his murder and find the killer?

The entire neighborhood is shaken when their friend and respected school teacher, Jose Santiago, is found dead by his teenage son, Michael. That’s not the only unnerving threat hitting the streets recently, Margaret has been getting wry letters taped to the door of her candy store. Her son, Zach, and Detective David Graham don’t think it’s a coincidence as an investigation to find the killer gets underway.

Dark details of Jose’s murder come to light as the cause of death was cyanide poisoning, with markings of a local coven found around the crime scene. Suspicions fall on the local ‘witch’ coven, making them the primary suspects.

Michael hires Margaret to try and track down his father’s murderer, with David begrudgingly accepting her help on the investigation to keep an eye on her.

As more cryptic notes are left, along with lousy misfortune hitting the residents – this cozy town soon dissolves into a ghostly version of a frenzied Salem in 1962. Paranoia stands on every corner and the bad luck and backlash quickly turn a friend to foe – to a killer.  

And I thought 

Sweets of Doom is book 2 or 3 in a series.  

The main character refers to solving 3 murders in town 

As a reluctant sleaurh in this title Margaret seems to begin to  get into the job if p.i. 

Her son Zachery pushes her into the role.  

Her detective friend steps up and asks her on a date. And they begin kissing.  

What bothered me was his allowing her to actual investment and interview witnesses. I can not see that really happening so I just have to think about how I rate this book. 

It is about witches and curses. 

The ladies in town are dabbling in 

N witchery. 

The book ends with the ladies tanking Margaret for solving the crime. 

The detective live interest drives by. 

Before all this in the beginning the son Zachery is overzealously in protective mode if his mom

 Comment from both lead you to believe there is a reason . 

But the back story is not explained in this title. 

Eaving this reader wondering. 

How Margaret ends up in a house with at least 5 bedrooms in a new town. 

Reading earlier titles might answer my questions. 

All in all I  can easily say this was not a favorite from this author. 

 

Cover Story feat Shaen Layle latest Release

I received an advance gift copy from Author Sharon Layle.  I loved the cover so much I wondered what the Author had to say about it. 

I asked a couple questions 

 

Here's what Shaen said . . . 

I’m so glad you got the book! I really like the cover too. It might be my favorite one so far! I don’t have much direct input on the covers, but the design company does often use information from the first chapter of the book when creating the cover. I appreciate how detail-oriented they are! They always add in special little details from the story. The first time I see the cover is after it’s been created and my editors show me a preliminary image. In my opinion, seeing the cover is one of the most exciting moments of the whole book creation process! It makes the story feel “real” after so many months locked away in my computer! 

About the book 

Borrowed Trouble is the fifteen book in the Mysteries of Cobble Hill Farm fiction series.

The wedding of Harriet Bailey and Will Knight has finally arrived. Friends and family of the bride and groom have gathered, and the celebration couldn’t be more perfect—until the power goes out during the reception. When the lights come back on, Harriet’s family heirloom is missing! Could one of their friends really have taken such a special item?

Determined to prove that couldn’t be true, Harriet and Will pause their honeymoon plans to search for the missing antique brooch. As they interview witnesses and possible suspects, they realize there is more history to the jewelry than they ever imagined. And what happens when other valuable items disappear? Harriet and Will must map out the truth before their honeymoon road trip takes another detour. 

Available on Amazon 

Click Here

Carrot Cake Jailbreak by Rosie A Point My Review

 

About the book 

 power outage. A jailbreak. And three unsolvable murders…

Charlotte Mission, ex-spy and fixer in small town Gossip, Texas, has a big problem on her hands. The power has been out for two days, she has more cases than she can handle, and she hasn’t seen her grandmother in days.

Just when she’s sure things can’t get any worse, a jailbreak on the outskirts of Gossip sends the town into a tailspin.

And things only get more chaotic when three corpses turn up on Main Street.

It’s murder, and it’s up to Charlie and Gamma to put their thinking caps on and figure out what’s going on in their town, all while maintaining their covers.

Can they solve the crimes and restore order before it’s too late?

Join Charlie Mission and her eccentric British grandmother as they kick bad-guy butt. Grab the second in this brand new spin-off series from USA Today bestseller Rosie A. Point and settle in with old friends.

The series 

Shop the series 

Click Here

Buy the book 

Available on Amazon  

Click Here

And I thought 

I was not am not sure where this one falls in the series.  

So easy to pick up on the characters and like them 

The story takes place at an Inn in Gossip Alabama.  

Hilarious name for a town.  The giggles did not stop there. 

Gram owns and lives in the inn that also house a cat sanctuary and underground arsenal and state of the art command center

Gram is a spy. 

Charlotte follows in her foot steps but retired and comes to town and becomes the town "Fixer," 

The are make you giggle moments b there are some sweetoments when Charlotte decides to blow caution to the wind and see where the "Thing" with the detective is going.   This after he was injured in the line of duty. 

I really enjoyed the characters the plot the town and inn and the cats in the story. 

I have found a new favorite in Rosie A Point. 

I enjoyed an audio copy on YouTube 

Cozy New Release

 

Homemaker 

by Ruthie Knox and Annie Mare (Co

Prairie Nightingale is both the midlife mother of two teenage girls and a canny entrepreneur who has turned homemaking into a salaried profession. She’s also fascinated with the gritty details of other people’s lives. So when seemingly perfect Lisa Radcliffe, a member of her former mom-friends circle, suddenly disappears, it’s in Prairie’s nature to find out why. 

Available on Amazon 

Click  Here

Family & Other Calamities 

by Leslie Gray Streeter 

Entertainment journalist Dawn Roberts has a lot to work through: a widow’s grief, betrayals of family and friends, and scandals that almost tanked her reputation. Not that Dawn dwells on the past. Well, hardly. When she returns to Baltimore with her husband’s ashes, she can’t avoid it. In fact, she’s diving into decades of backstabbing and treachery for her first trip home in years. 

Available on Amazon 

Click Here

Where There’s Smoke

 by Laura Bradford 

Hannah Prentiss has barely opened the doors of the Hot Spot, her new restaurant in Blackberry Valley’s old firehouse, when she receives a lukewarm review from a local food critic. She’s determined to prove him wrong―and to prove to herself that she has what it takes to run a successful business.  

Available on Amazon 

Click Here

  

By Hook or By Book

 by Misty Simon 

Roxy Gleason, an innkeeper by trade and a bibliomancer by birth, has lived in the same small town on the Susquehanna River in Central Pennsylvania for her entire life. Tradition is strong here. Roxy understands the rules and is willing to play by them most of the time. She runs the Charmed Inn, which has been in her family for decades 

Available on Amazon 

Click Here

.

Authors That Blog featTerry Overton

 

An uplifting post from Terry Overton blog ...

The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him. Nahum 1:7

This week, I was blessed to reconnect with my original home church, St. Paul Lutheran Church in Fort Worth. Many professional and life decisions in my life resulted in a series of moves out of state and later to other parts of Texas. But this week, I attended a class to connect back to the church.

In the classroom were others like me, all coming home to the church or joining the church for the first time. There were people of all ages. Some had moved to other states and now returned, and some had only recently moved to town. As I scanned around the room, I wondered where they each were in their own faith journeys.

We might look at other people’s lives and think: They have it easy. No wonder they are so cheerful. In truth, we don’t know what others face, and yet, through our own trials, we reason everyone has it easier; everyone is happier. We might even believe our lives are in such bad shape that we cannot be helpful to anyone, especially God. 

A walk through the Bible tells a different story. We find that the people God used the most were in the most turbulent times of their lives. Joseph was chosen yet found himself in a pit. Moses was chosen to be exiled and later carried the faith, and led the Jews to the edge of the promised land. Ruth was chosen in grief but found faith in a second chance of life. Paul, a man hated by those of faith, was chosen while breathing threats against the Jews. Paul was later beaten, shipwrecked, and imprisoned. Many people in the Bible who have influence today had the hardest of lives. Yet God used them to carry out His bigger plan.

We also have parts to play in God’s plan. We may not see someone thrown into a pit by their own family, but we can offer support to those in the pit of despair. We can volunteer at a food bank or bring food to a shelter. We can help a teen estranged from their family to reconnect or provide support to others as we mend our own families. 

We may not lead a nation across the desert, but we can lead a child to God. We can teach Sunday School, write Biblical stories for children, and invite children to spend time in church activities with Christian role models.

We may not have to abandon our former lives because of grief, but we can offer support, sit with someone who is grieving, take a meal to a grieving family, offer a ride to church, or sit with them during the message.

God not only comforts broken people, He chooses them.

God uses times of despair, grief, and even abandonment as opportunities for us to grow in faith. It has often been said that the best way to help yourself is to help others. God knows this. Christians know this. This is why community is important not only to reach out to others but also to strengthen our own faith.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27

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https://www.authorterryoverton.com/post/from-broken-to-nbsp-chosen

Terry Overton Interview

 

 Interview with Author Terry Overton 

This is a reprint from a previous interview . . . 

What’s your writing work schedule like?

 My previous writing schedule including writing in long spurts and several days of time off in between. My writing nowadays is mostly in short spurts due to spending more time as a caregiver.

 

Do you have an interesting writing quirk?

 If so, what is it?

 I am not sure if it is a quirk, but some of my ideas seem to begin out of the blue. I might be awakened at 3:00 AM and will get up and begin writing. I believe this is a gift provided to me. Often I am awakened because my “characters” are awake and talking to each other! 🤣 

What has been your greatest joy(s) in your writing career?

 Hands down hearing from readers! Love to chat on Facebook, get Christmas cards, and meet them at book signings. I try to stay in touch with as many readers as possible.

 

Could you tell us about a dark moment in your writing career?

 Maybe not a dark moment but frustrating moments happen during self-publishing. I first had to learn various platforms and how to work within parameters.

 

How many times in your career have you experienced rejection?

 How did they shape you? 

I have not counted rejections but have had many. Rejections are often form letters or emails. After a rejection, I submit again elsewhere.

 

Where do you get your ideas?

 Some creative ideas begin, in the middle of the night. Other ideas for characters or plot twists, might come from observations or be based in part on people I know. Some ideas are based on my own life experiences. A story of a near-death experience was based upon my own near-death experience after complications during surgery.

 

Who is your favorite author to read?

 I have many authors whose work I enjoy. I read books written by my Christian author friends as well as authors like John Grisham, Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins.

 

What advice can you give aspiring writers that you wished you had gotten, or that you wished you would have heeded? Don’t  

wait until you retire to start writing! If you are a writer, write every chance you can.

 

What are common mistakes you see aspiring writers make?  

In reviewing books by new authors, I have seen some amazing books. I have also read many books with editing mistakes and others with character or plot inconsistencies. Be careful and let others read your work before you submit or self-publish.

 

Where/How do you recommend writers try to break into the market? 

 If you cannot find an agent or publisher, hire experts (editors, cover designers, etc.) and publish it on your own.  Over thirty percent of all ebooks sold are self-published and the numbers continue to increase.