“…whatever is…

“…whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” Philippians 4:8

Smoke Screen by Terri Blackstock (Coming November 5, 2019)

Smoke Screen. Just the title and knowing Terri Blackstock is the author, is enough for me to be excited.  Her books are always full of mystery, suspense, romance, and page-turning surprises.  You just never know where the story will go when you start a Terri Blackstock book.

This book is full of complicated lives.  There’s Brenna Strickland Herzog, her two children, and her ex-husband and his new trophy wife.   Then there’s Nate Beckett, injured smoker jumper finally back home to recuperate, his brother, mom and dad.  Oh, wait.  Did I forget to mention a difficult family (or three), a mean father-in-law, an ex-con, an arsonist, and a murderer?  This book has all this and more. 

Yes, this book has many characters with an array of difficult circumstances to overcome.  The question is, will they be able to turn to God for strength or remain stuck in their own problems, facing trials, anger, disappointments, alcoholism, medical trauma, and murder.  

Brenna and Nate seem to be destined for failure.  No one is on their side.  They’ve been through so much in the past that separated them and now their lives are suddenly thrown back together. You’ll have to wait and read this suspenseful and surprising novel to find out.  Sometimes, you think you know what’s going on…and then you realize you know nothing!  It’s a smoke screen meant to confuse and mislead us.  This is another great novel by one of my “must-read” authors. 

I received a complimentary e-copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Lone Witness (Atlanta Justice, Book 2) by Rachel Dylan – 5 Stars

Superb legal thriller full of suspense and plot twists!  Rachel Dylan did an excellent job on this sequel in her Atlanta Justice series.  The story is stand-alone, but some minor characters in this story were main characters in the first book, Deadly Proof, so if you don’t like knowing what happens to characters, then read these in order.  

Three friends, Rachel, Kate, and Mia are all lawyers in Atlanta, GA.  This novel centers on Rachel and two cases she’s involved with.  Both cases are exciting and Rachel has to do some heavy duty work to dig deep in order to make her case.  Of course, there’s danger, always danger, and her father hires a private security firm to offer protection for his daughter, Rachel.  Cooper Knight had met Rachel before and thought very highly of her, but he has no intentions of getting romantically involved with any woman because of his past.  But he’s an excellent PI and he’s not going to let anyone hurt Rachel on his watch.  Only, when you are dealing with dangerous men, anything can happen.  And happen it does!  

I highly recommend this book (and previous book) if you like legal thrillers full of suspense.  You will get involved in the story from the beginning and it will be hard to put down until it ends.  You will fall in love with some characters and be ready to put others behind bars for the rest of their lives.  You will also be shocked and thrilled! 

Thanks, Rachel Dylan, for another wonderful read!

Ways to connect with Rachel Dylan:

https://www.racheldylan.com

https://www.racheldylan.com/category/blog/

Beneath Copper Falls (A Rock Harbor Novel #6) by Colleen Coble

It’s SO GOOD to be back in Rock Harbor!!  I loved the Rock Harbor series with Bree and her rescue dog and all the other great characters and now I’m excited to be back with them, new characters, old characters, and a new and exciting mystery.  This book had me from the Prologue and didn’t let go until the very end.  Colleen Coble hasn’t lost her touch with these characters or with the ability to keep the suspense going full speed.

Dana Newell is a 911 operator living in Washington State and let’s just say she needs to get away from her fiancé in a hurry.  She had spent most of her youth in Rock Harbor and had met up with Bree and her rescue dog, Samson, recently and thought going back would be just the thing she needs.  Trouble is everywhere though, but at least she has friends who care, a new job, and her brother Chris.  But looks are not always as they seem. And Dana finds that out pretty soon when she meets Boone.  

That’s all I’m telling.  No spoilers from me.  If you read the Rock Harbor novels then you need to read this one also. If you haven’t read them, technically you don’t need to, but I would, since the characters in the book have changed since the first book, Without A Trace, and I’d hate for you to already know how some things turned out.  I’m a sucker for a total surprise, so I rarely read the description on the back of the book if I know the author. 

So just get this book and enjoy the ride.  It’s full of suspense and a twisting mystery that will almost make you dizzy trying to solve it.  

Find out more about Colleen Coble and her books here:

https://colleencoble.com

Did You Know? Rachel Dylan is a UGA Bulldog Fan!

I love to interact with Christian authors and I follow several on their FB pages and blogs.  I was browsing my feed on FB the other day and I came across this post from author, Rachel Dylan:

College football season starts this weekend. Are you a football fan? Do you have a favorite team?
Go Georgia Bulldogs!

We’ll, we are right smack dab in Bulldog country and I knew she is writing the Atlanta Justice series…so I thought…hmmmmm…there’s got to be more to this story.  So I replied and sure enough, she’s from Georgia.  I told her our church is right next door to Athens and that our Media Center has the first two books in the Atlanta Justice series and asked her for more info and this is what she told me:

Hi Debbie—

Thanks again.  Here’s a little more info.  I was born and grew up in Macon, Georgia.  I went to college at West Ga in Carrollton and graduated from UGA Law School in 2006.  I worked in a large law firm in Atlanta for 8 years before moving to Michigan.  I definitely miss Georgia, especially the warm sunshine.  I’m a big UGA football fan.  I write the Atlanta Justice series which is a 3 book series about three women attorneys in Atlanta.  They all practice different types of law, but they find themselves in challenging and dangerous situations.  Deadly Proof and Lone Witness are currently available and the last book in the series, Breach of Trust will be out in February.

It’s a small world!  Anyway, I thought our Media Center followers would like to know that Rachel is a Georgia Bulldog fan and that we have Deadly Proof #1 and Lone Witness #2 in the Media Center right now just waiting for someone to come and check them out.

Deadly Proof was the first “Rachel Dylan” book I’ve read.  And I checked it out from the Media Center to take on vacation.  I really enjoyed it.  We just recently added Lone Witness and I’m waiting to finish reading a couple of other books and then I’m checking this one out.

I love suspense, both medical and legal.  This one fits the bill for legal thrillers. So, come on in and check them out.  And if you are reading this blog post and you don’t come to our church, then I highly recommend you buying these books or looking for them in your library.

To go to Rachel’s website, just click on her name (underlined) in this blog post and it will take you right to her website and you can learn about all her books.

 

 

Criss Cross by C.C. Warrens: E-Book is FREE! September 7-11, 2018

I’m a day late in posting this, but you still have time to download Criss Cross, the first book in the Holly Novel series by C.C. Warrens.  This is an amazing series. Each book builds on each other with more insights into the characters and more suspense (and humor), until Book 3, Crossed Off, and the suspense level is off the charts!!!  I literally had to put the book down several times just to catch my breath and remind myself that this was fiction!

This is a great way to start off this series, thank you, C.C. Warrens for sharing this amazing e-book for FREE.

Her new series, Injustice For All (Seeking Justice Book 1) has just been released in Amazon kindle for $3.99.  This series follows Detective Marx, from the Holly Novels, as he seeks justice and continues with Holly’s story.  I’ve read it and it’s great!  I’ll be posting a review soon.

 

Grace in Strange Disguise by Christine Dillon

This is the first book I’ve read by Christine Dillon.  She writes a very heavy evangelical story and although this is not what I read all the time, I did enjoy this book.  She did a great job of keeping me interested in the storyline, while at the same time the message of Jesus was flowing so effortlessly.  

This is about a young woman, Esther, who finds out she has cancer.  Her father is a very well known pastor of a mega church in Australia and he believes that through prayer, faith, and repented sin, Esther will be healed.  And if she isn’t then something is wrong in her life.  He is a very legalistic person and throughout the book you wonder if he even knows the true Christ.  

Esther’s life is completely turned upside down by this diagnosis and events happen that make her start to rethink her faith in Jesus.  Why is God letting this happen?  Why won’t He heal her?  What’s wrong with her that is keeping healing from happening?  Wonderful questions that we ask all the time and Christine Dillon does a wonderful job of weaving the story of Jesus and His love for us throughout this book. It’s a book I won’t forget soon.  I may keep in on my kindle for future reference.  It would be a great book for anyone who is struggling with their faith or health problems or just wanting to know how to go about sharing Jesus with others.  It’s a different kind of novel.  Fiction, yes, but you learn so much, it’s almost like a non-fiction book too. 

One quote from the book, “It’s a package deal.  I can’t pick and choose the bits of the Bible I like.  It’s either all God’s word or it isn’t.  If it isn’t, then I’m wasting my time and deluding others.”  That’s so true.  You can’t just pick out verses and make it work for you and ignore the others.  It’s all God Word and it’s all about God and His love and redemption for us.

Thank you, Christine Dillon, for a very different and powerful novel. 

Fly Away by Lynn Austin

What can I say to describe this relatively small book now that I’m finished.  From the author’s note at the beginning telling about all the heartbreaking events that were going on in her life when she wrote this book to the Epilogue it was a wonderful journey.  It was one of her first books and it is amazing!  When I started the first chapter I thought it was okay and maybe a little slow, but “Hey, this is one of her first books, so I’ll give her a pass because she’s an excellent writer and she had to start somewhere, right?”  Well, don’t let the beginning of this book fool you.  It is powerful, it is amazing, it is life changing, it is one of her best books!

Wilhelmina Brewster was forced to retire from her teaching position at Faith College.  That was her whole life.  She’d played the piano from childhood to retirement and she didn’t know how to do anything else.  Literally, she had never had a life apart from the piano.  While other kids were playing and going places and having fun, Wilhelmina was playing the piano.  Now, her life as she has always known it, was over.  She’s mad at God for letting this happen.  Yes, she’s a Christian, yet she never fully knew how to truly live the abundant life that God promised.  

Mike Dolan, a regular man, not educated like Wilhelmina, just down to earth and full of life, gets some bad news.  His cancer is back.  But even with that death sentence staring him in the face, he is still full of life and caring of others, and always wanting to do something fun.  He’s not a Christian.  Yet, his life is overflowing in joy and Wilhelmina’s life is stagnant. So, how can Wilhelmina tell him about Jesus? 

These two meet and the story picks up and you’ll laugh, you’ll find yourself questioning your life, you’ll rejoice, you’ll cry, you’ll never be the same.  One good quote from this book, “We have two choices, you and I; we can lose ourselves in despair or find ourselves in Christ.”

I can’t say anymore other than this book is worth reading.  It’s worth sharing.  It’s an amazing story of how God can take two people and change their lives so dramatically, and you can sit, read and watch the whole process as it unwinds.  Even be able to see how past prayers can still be heard. 

Our Summer Book Club will be discussing this book next week and I can’t wait to talk about it with everyone.

Visit the author:

http://lynnaustin.org

https://www.facebook.com/LynnAustinBooks/

The House on Foster Hill by Jaime Jo Wright

This is the debut novel by an amazing author, Jaime Jo Wright.  The book cover is beautiful in it’s mystery and I just knew I had to give this book a try.  Oh boy, am I glad I did!

This is a very interesting Christian suspense novel that is set in two different times about two different women, Ivy and Kaine.  They each have a mystery to solve and danger lurks at every turn.  Ivy, 1906, is a memory keeper of those that died in her town.  Her father was the town doctor and Ivy felt like it was important to keep their story alive and not forget them.  Even the unknown one, Gabriella.  Ivy’s past catches up with her when Joel comes back to town and the mystery of Gabriella becomes more and more dangerous.  Kaine, current time, is a women who is trying to heal after the death of her husband.  She moves to the town Ivy lived in and bought the house on Foster Hill and her story is filled with sadness, mystery, suspense, and some romance. I won’t tell anymore of the story…you just need to read it!

This novel caught my attention from the very first chapter and it got better and better.  There was really no “boring time” during any of this book.  It is more descriptive than I usually like, but the author does such a wonderful job with everything.  It’s full of mystery and suspense from both timelines and it couldn’t have been told any better!  I loved it.  It will keep you reading and keep you guessing until the end.  I wholeheartedly recommend this book.  I can’t wait to read Jaime Jo Wright’s next novel.

Great Deal on Suspense Novels by C.C. Warrens

Author, C.C. Warrens, is offering the first two books of her A Holly Novel series for 99cents each.  That’s an amazing deal, especially considering they are excellent books.  You can find my review of all three books here on my blog.

You’ll need to visit the author’s website to buy these e-books.  Here’s the link:

ccwarrensbooks.com

Crossed Off (A Holly Novel Book 3) by C.C. Warrens

Just when you think a series can’t get any better…BAM! This book had me from the first sentence and didn’t let go until the end. Wait! It didn’t even let go then…I want MORE!!!

First let me say that this is Book 3 in a series and they must be read in order. So if you haven’t read, Criss Cross and Cross Fire yet, then buy them and start this amazing, thrilling, rollercoaster ride of suspense, mystery, humor and God’s mercy! This 3rd book continues with Holly, Marx, Jordan, Jace, and of course, Collin. If you read book 2, then you can imagine how this book will start. And start with a bang, yes! Emotions in high gear from the start and it only intensifies from there.

This is the book we’ve been waiting for. The one where Collin is finally finished with toying with Holly. He’s ready to get down to business and he doesn’t care who is hurt in his quest to destroy Holly. Holly is surrounded by many people who love and care for her, Marx, Jordan, Jace, Sam and she’s trying her best to keep them safe from Collin as well. There are so many touching scenes in this book. I probably highlighted at least a third of the book. One minute you will find yourself crying from sadness, then laughing at something quirky Holly does, then on to holding your breath and hanging on for life. This book does get gritty. The author, C.C. Warrens, does it in a very compassionate, tasteful way and although the horrible scenes will have you gasping for breath, she always ends it and gives you plenty of time to breath and compose yourself. Holly, even when she’s on the brink of despair, she can always come back with something to be thankful for or some witty comeback that will ease the tension.

This is Christian fiction, but it’s not “preachy”. It’s real. It’s about life and how dirty it can get. It’s about how even at our worst, God is with us. He never leaves. Holly’s relationship with Jesus is woven throughout the whole series and is not overpowering. So don’t let this being Christian ficition stop you from reading these amazing books. I think you will love them!

C.C. Warrens is an excellent writer and I’m so thankful that I found her books. Because I love a book that will totally capture me and not let go. It’s full of surprises and not your typical mystery that you figure out before you’re halfway through. You will fall in love with the characters and the story, you will be exhausted from the suspense, you will laugh out loud at Holly, you will end each book saying “I can’t wait until the next one!”

You can find more about C.C. Warrens at these links:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16999959.C_C_Warrens

https://www.facebook.com/ccwarrens/

https://www.ccwarrensbooks.com

https://www.amazon.com/C.C.-Warrens/e/B076NFLWFM/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1522246546&sr=1-2-ent

The Undoing of Saint Silvanus by Beth Moore: On Sale $2.99

If you are a fan of Beth Moore and have been wondering about her first fiction book but didn’t want to pay full price, then wonder no more.  The e-book is on sale through 1-7-18 for $2.99!

 

Randy Singer’s Latest Book, Rule of Law, Is On Sale

I love legal thrillers and today when I saw that Randy Singer‘s latest book, Rule of Law, was on sale for $2.99…I jumped right on it.  (I had $1.16 left of an Amazon gift card so it only cost me $1.83! Can’t beat that, can ya?)

This book has great reviews on Amazon and on Goodreads and I’m looking forward to reading this book and hoping it’s better than the book I’m forcing myself to finish now (not by Randy Singer!)

Click on Randy’s name and you’ll be taken to his website and click on the book title and you’ll be taken to his site to read more about the book and can check out the book trailer.

FREE Kindle: A Noble Masquerade (Hawthorne House Book 1) by Kristi Ann Hunter

I just came across this FREE book on Kindle and it may be free on other e-readers also, so check it out.  I’m not sure how long it will be FREE, so hurry and get it.  Sounds great and I love getting the first book free cause then I can read it and if it’s really good I can buy the others.

Cross Fire (A Holly Novel #2) by C.C. Warrens

Oh my! Holly Cross does seem to have trouble follow her every where she goes. This second book in the series picks up where Criss Cross left off. Only now there is more trouble for Holly to get mixed up in. Her detective friend, Marx, is involved with gangs and murders. And of course, Holly gets involved and things turn very, very dangerous. Not only for her, but for her long-time friend, Jordan, who returns to help protect Holly from Collin, her nightmare…the man that only wants to continue to torture Holly. The suspense of the current danger that Holly, Marx and Jordan are in and add to it the deeper suspense of wondering when and where Collin will show himself, is edge-of-your seat tension. If this were a movie, I would cover my eyes and peak through my fingers to see what’s coming next!

Author C.C. Warrens did an excellent job on continuing Holly’s story. She has really developed the characters even more as they continue on in this novel with new dangers. I had a hard time putting this book down, yet at the same time, I would stop reading just because I wanted it to last longer. Holly is still a quirky, witty, thankful woman. But she is still haunted by her past and is still having a hard time letting the people that care for her do just that…care for her! Holly still has boundaries but is slowly trying very hard to overcome the horrors of the past. But some horrors never seem to go away…Collin!

If you read, Criss Cross, then you know you will have to continue reading about Holly to find out how things turned out. And if you haven’t read the first book, Criss Cross, then do! Please do! If you like mystery/suspense, very little romance, quirky characters and funny, witty characters, then this is the book series for you. No bad language, no sex scenes, and that is important for me. This is a Christian book, but there’s not preachy scenes, just a good balance of a wounded life and how Jesus is always there for Holly.

The third book, Crossed Off, is expected to be released in April 2018. And C.C. Warrens is giving Marx his own book to tell his story, which I’m eager to read also.

Criss Cross (A Holly Novel #1) by C. C. Warrens (5 Stars)

C. C. Warrens is a new Christian Fiction author and if she continues to write novels like her first, Criss Cross, I will continue reading them. The book is full of edge-of-your-seat, hold-your-breath suspense. And you don’t know the whole story until much later in the novel, which I love! That’s true suspense. If you are worried about bad language or sexual scenes, don’t. It’s a very clean novel, yet deals with tough situations and yet the author writes in such a way that you don’t miss the bad language that most secular novelist think they must include to captivate the reader. The main character is a Christian, but the book is not overtly Christian, so I feel anyone could read this and love it.

Holly, the main character, is a photographer that lives completly off the grid. She has many quirks and a past that will not let go of her. Her quick, witty banter with her best friend, Jace, and later with Detective Marx is totally wonderful. A very tense situation can turn funny with the wit of Holly.

Holly’s past has caught up with her and she needs help, yet due to her past, she is reluctant to accept it. She isolates herself and likes, no demands, her personal space. And getting her to trust is very hard, but totally worth it.

You will find yourself holding your breath because you are so scared for her and you will be sitting on the edge of your favorite reading chair wondering what’s going to happen and how will it turn out. But you will also smile and a few times laugh and the funny things that happen during tense moments of suspense.

And the ending? Oh my goodness!!! I can’t wait until Book 2, Cross Fire, comes out in November 2017. And I believe there will be a Book 3 also. Yeah!!!! Love this new author and her novel. Looking forward to reading many more books to come.

You can find C. C. Warrens on FaceBook and Goodreads and find out more about her book and upcoming books. She also has a blog, so visit her at crisscrossholly.wordpress.com

One of my favorite quotes from the book.  Holly has just asked Detective Marx if he believes in God…

“I’ve seen a lot of bad things with my job.  And I’ve asked God why, if He exists, He allows them to happen. I never get an answer.”

“Do you ask Him why He allows the good things to happen?”

A thoughtful line formed between his eyebrows.  “Can’t say that I have.”

“If you’re gonna hold God accountable for the bad things, you should hold Him accountable for the good things too.  There’s a lot more good than bad, but if all you do is pile the bad at His feet, you’ll never be able to see past it to the good things.”

FREE Kindle Book – Always Watching by Lynette Eason

Here’s a FREE Kindle book that sounds really great if you like Christian suspense with some romance.  Always Watching (Elite Guardian Series, Book 1) by Lynette Eason.  It’s FREE today (July 27, 2017) on Amazon.  It may be free longer, but if you think you might want to try this book, then you better get it today.  I’ve waited before and the books weren’t free any longer 😦

I’ve read some books by Lynette Eason (click on her name and check out her website) and really enjoyed them, so I’m looking forward to reading this book.  Happy Reading!

 

FREE Kindle: Isle of Hope: Unfailing Love (Book 1) by Julie Lessman (June 23-27, 2017)

I just received an email from author, Julie Lessman, with an outstanding offer!  Her book, Isle of Hope: Unfailing Love (Book 1), is currently FREE on Kindle from June 23-27, 2017.  So hurry to Amazon and download this book.

I’ve read a couple of her books and enjoyed them.  So I’m looking forward to getting to read the first in this series FREE!!  Can’t beat that, can ya?

And I saved the best news for last.  Julie Lessman wrote a prequel to this book, A Glimmer of Hope: A Novella Prequel to Isle of Hope, and it is also FREE to download.

So, what  are you waiting for?  Get to Amazon and download these two books for FREE now!!  It may be offered free on other e-reader sites too, so be sure to check it out.

Thanks, Julie Lessman, for this wonderful deal!!!!

 

King’s Faith-Very Good Movie on Netflix

If you are a subscriber to Netflix you may have seen the announcement of the addition of King’s Faith.  This is a very good, well made Christian movie.

I am ashamed to say that I am always surprised at well made and well acted Christian movies. The Christian movie genre is getting better and better and I am excited every time I see a really good Christian movie!

So check out the trailer and if you have Netflix…watch it!  If you do not, I am sure it is on DVD.

It does deal with some hefty subjects (and very well done) so I would suggest that the age group be teenagers and up.  But parents can watch it and then decide if their younger ones are mature enough to see the movie.

Free E-Book Today by Louie Giglio

Today, June 7, 2016, you can get a free e-book by Louie Giglio and Matt Redman.

Indescribable by Louie Giglio and Matt Redman

Putting this powerful message into print for the first time, visionary pastor Louie Giglio and songwriter Matt Redman team up to write a heart-stirring book about the mysteries of God’s creation. Indescribable takes readers on a journey through the vastness of outer space and into the depths of the soul.

Modern science allows viewers to see farther into space than ever before, and every step draws them closer to the God who breathed each star into existence. In Indescribable, the authors intertwine devotional insights with remarkable scientific facts that awaken both mind and spirit. As Giglio and Redman write, God turnswonderers into worshipers.

Above all, Indescribable is a call to worship—an invitation to know and be known by the God of all creation and to become more passionate worshipers of Jesus Christ.

-Amazon

Free E-Book Today Only-May 27, 2016

Publisher, David C Cook, is offering this book FREE today only – May 27, 2016.  So if you like to read Christian non-fiction, this should be a great book to download.

Anxious for Nothing by John MacAuthur