First Line Friday — Butte Montana

26 Apr

Happy Friday! Today I am featuring historical romance writer, Ruth Trippy. I love that Trippy set her novel, Butte Montana, in the real life 1890s boom town. This is a book that promises to capture the place and time well. I love that the author includes historic photographs of the town — it helps to make the story come alive in a reader’s imagination.

Here’s the first line:

Maximilian made himself comfortable in the velvet cushioned armchair.

ROMANCE IN FLAMBOYANT BUTTE, MONTANA

Maximilian Strang lost his wife in the horrendous Kenyon-Connell warehouse explosion and now seeks to numb his sorrow in the comforts of the elegant, but notorious Dumas Hotel. Giselle, one of its most beautiful and alluring “ladies of the night,” has him contemplating marriage.

As owner of a Butte copper mine, Max learns of the tragic death of a young employee, and to stifle his finer feelings, tries to deaden them in the questionable entertainment in the Theatre Comique. Hidden behind a screen in its upstairs balcony, he witnesses a fresh new act: a ballerina, Anna, who artfully expresses life and loveliness. Though she cannot see him, at the end of her dance, she instinctively reaches her arms in his direction, drawing him warmly toward herself.

Lively and paradoxical, Butte is a city that provides work in its copper mines for some 50 nationalities and is called “the richest hill on earth.” With plenty of money to throw around, its inhabitants have no lack of choice between virtue and wantonness. In this city with so many carnal delights, how will Maximilian choose to live his life?

Ruth Trippy was born in western Michigan to a Dutch family with values similar to the Victorian era she loves. She left home to teach high school language arts in Florida, focusing on American and British literature, and also pursued her interest in apologetics. In addition, she worked as Public Service Director for a radio station in Ft. Lauderdale.

Her writing originated from experiences in her marriage. Her husband was a tough, adventurous Louis L’Amour type individual and needing encouragement in the relationship, she found it in the pages of a 19th century romance novel. Identifying with the characters helped her focus on the roses rather than the thorns in her marriage and inspired her to pick up her pen to help others. Romance fiction, she believes, can bring both encouragement and, just as importantly, be a metaphor for the love between Christ and His bride the church.

Ruth and her husband live near Atlanta and have two grown children.

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Book Review: The Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass

25 Apr

My book club chose The Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass by Katie Powner for our April discussion. This was a novel we all loved. Windy Ray’s wisdom, Pete’s care for others, and Pearl the potbellied pig’s big personality made this character driven novel a favorite. Find out more below.

For the first time in his life, Pete has everything to lose.

After years of drifting, fifty-year-old Pete Ryman has settled down with his potbellied pig, Pearl, in the small Montana town of Sleeping Grass–a place he never expected to see again. It’s not the life he dreamed of, but there aren’t many prospects for a high-school dropout like him.

Elderly widow Wilma Jacobsen carries a burden of guilt over her part in events that led to Pete leaving Sleeping Grass decades ago. Now that he’s back, she’s been praying for the chance to make things right, but she never expected God’s answer to leave her flat on her face–literally–and up to her ears in meddling.

When the younger sister Pete was separated from as a child shows up in Sleeping Grass with her eleven-year-old son, Pete is forced to face a past he buried long ago, and Wilma discovers her long-awaited chance at redemption may come at a higher cost than she’s willing to pay.

Katie Powner is an award-winning author who lives in Montana, where cows still outnumber people. She writes contemporary fiction about redemption, relationships, and finding the dirt road home. Katie is a mom to the third power (biological, adoptive, and foster) who believes every child deserves a loving family. Visit http://www.katiepowner.com.

My Impressions:

The Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass is another excellent novel by Katie Powner. Set in a small Montana town, the story revolves around Pete, the local garbageman. Pete has come back home to Sleeping Grass after years and years of hardship and heartache. Abandoned by his mother as a child, Pete has struggled with all the issues you can imagine and then some. His anger got him kicked out of foster homes and landed him in jail. Determined to change his ways, he is lives a simple and humble life. With just two friends, Windy Ray and Pearl, his pet potbellied pig, Pete feels he can’t expect much more in his undeserving life. But then Pete’s world is upended with the friendship of elderly widow, Wilma, and the appearance of his estranged sister Dani and her son Braeden. Pete begins to walk a tightrope trying not to mess up again.

This novel is character-driven. While it is mostly Pete’s story, all the others have just as important stories to tell. Truths about God are shared by Windy Ray, Dani and Pete give grace, Wilma receives forgiveness, and Pearl captures the reader’s heart. There’s much to contemplate — the value of people, the burden of guilt, the importance of community and shared faith. A very diverse group of people come together and offer their love to each other. It’s a quiet, yet beautiful book. There are some things left unanswered, but I chose to give all the characters long-lived happy endings. I think that’s what Windy Ray would want 😉 .

Great for Book Clubs.

Highly Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I purchased the audiobook from Audible. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

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Top 10 Tuesday — Unread TBR

23 Apr

This week’s TTT topic opens huge cans of worms for me. I have so many unread books in physical form, ebook form, audiobook form, and ARCs on NetGalley. I am drowning in unread books. And I am completely unapologetic! There may come a day when I will have all the time in the world to read. That’s when the TBR will be whittled down. In the meantime, I accumulate books willy-nilly. 😉 This week I am listing the last 10 books added to my NetGalley shelf. At least I know they haven’t been languishing too long. I hope you find one to pique your interest.

For more hopelessly behind TBR lists, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

Last 10 Books Added to My NetGalley Shelf

Between The Sand And Sea by Amanda Cox

Bitter And Sweet by Rhonda McKnight

Her Part to Play by Jenny Erlingsson

Hidden in The Night by Elizabeth Goddard

Meet Me At The Starlight by Rachel Hauck

Love on A Whim by Suzanne Woods Fisher

The Road Before Us by Janine Rosche

A Run At Love by Toni Shiloh

The Sisters of Corinth by Angela Hunt

What We Hide by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker

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Mini-Book Review: The Women

22 Apr

The Women by Kristin Hannah was the April selection of my book club which focuses on novels featuring interesting women, usually within the historical fiction genre. The women noted by the title were US Army nurses serving in Vietnam. The story revolves around one in particular, and Hannah puts her through the ringer! We found the political and cultural context of the book interesting. All of our members were born in the 1960s, but were too young to actually know what was going on in the adult life of our country. All I remember is watching Walter Cronkite sharing the death toll of our servicemen. This book takes the reader into the dangerous world of the women who no one wanted to admit actually went to Vietnam. While many returning veterans were treated horribly, the women who risked their lives to provide healing and comfort, were also hit with abysmal treatment by the Veterans Administration. The book was definitely an eye-opener. Beautifully written, it does not shy away from the graphic side of the war, nor the obstacles and problems for those who came home. The Women is an excellent book club choice — we had a really great discussion. Please note that this novel was published for the general market. All adult warnings are included.

Recommended.

Great for Book Clubs.

Audience Adults.

(I purchased a copy of this book from Amazon. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path.

As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is over-whelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant. In war, she meets—and becomes one of—the lucky, the brave, the broken, and the lost.

But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam.

The Women is the story of one woman gone to war, but it shines a light on all women who put themselves in harm’s way and whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has too often been forgotten. A novel about deep friendships and bold patriotism, The Women is a richly drawn story with a memorable heroine whose idealism and courage under fire will come to define an era.

Kristin Hannah is the award-winning and bestselling author of more than 20 novels. Her newest novel, The Women, about the nurses who served in the Vietnam war, will be released on February 6, 2024.

The Four Winds was published in February of 2021 and immediately hit #1 on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Indie bookstore’s bestseller lists. Additionally, it was selected as a book club pick by the both Today Show and The Book Of the Month club, which named it the best book of 2021.

In 2018, The Great Alone became an instant New York Times #1 bestseller and was named the Best Historical Novel of the Year by Goodreads.

In 2015, The Nightingale became an international blockbuster and was Goodreads Best Historical fiction novel for 2015 and won the coveted People’s Choice award for best fiction in the same year. It was named a Best Book of the Year by Amazon, iTunes, Buzzfeed, the Wall Street Journal, Paste, and The Week.

The Nightingale is currently in pre-production at Tri Star. Firefly Lane, her beloved novel about two best friends, was the #1 Netflix series around the world, in the week it came out. The popular tv show stars Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke.

A former attorney, Kristin lives in the Pacific Northwest.

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First Line Friday — How to Plot A Payback

19 Apr

Happy Friday! I just love to attend book events. Last weekend two bookish friends and I attended an evening with 3 authors hosted by Bookbound Bookstore in Blairsville, Georgia. Shout out to Sharon Davis for her fabulously fun events. Joy Callaway, Melissa Ferguson, and Kimberly Brock all entertained and informed us with their writing habits, research, and of course their wonderful books! I snagged a signed copy of Melissa Ferguson’s newest RomCom release, How to Plot A Payback.

Here’s the first line:

Murder is just so tedious.

He crossed an ocean, and it still wasn’t enough to escape his lifelong nemesis. Now he has to work with her.

Successful screenwriter Finn Masters just landed his dream job writing for Neighbors, one of Hollywood’s highest-rated, longest-running sitcoms. The only downside? It will put him back in proximity of the show’s universally adored, optimistic, altruistic star, Lavender Rhodes, who has been inadvertently ruining his life since they were school chums in England. But she doesn’t even know she destroyed his acting career and wrecked his relationship with the love of his life.

He’s not about to let this woman yank yet another dream out from under his feet. In fact, he realizes he’s been given the ideal opportunity to plot his payback: spinning her character in shocking new directions. What could go wrong? Only everything. As Finn’s not-so-brilliant plot backfires one scene after the next, catching him in the blasts, he’s forced to think about this impossible, infuriating…and maybe even lovable woman in an entirely new light.

Melissa Ferguson is the bestselling author of titles including Meet Me in the Margins, Famous for a Living, and How to Plot a Payback. She lives in Tennessee with her family in their growing farmhouse lifestyle and writes heartwarming romantic comedies.

You can find her on her socials at @ourfriendlyfarmhouse.

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Spotlight On Historical Romance — An Unlikely Arrangement

18 Apr

An Unlikely Arrangement JustRead Blog Tour

Welcome to the Blog Tour for An Unlikely Arrangement by Cindy Patterson, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About The Book

An Unlikely Arrangement

Title: An Unlikely Arrangement
Series: Brides of Biltmore #1
Author: Cindy Patterson
Publisher: Springbrook Press, LLC
Release Date: March 11, 2024
Genre: Historical Romance, Christian, Clean & Wholesome

In 1902, Abigail Dupree is but a breath away from her grand societal failure. To save her family from humiliation and financial ruin, Abigail becomes a bargaining trade in her mother’s eyes. A bargain that will extinguish Abigail’s last hope of a happily-ever-after. If only she could return to the mountains of Asheville, North Carolina, she might have a chance to reunite with the only man who has the power to save her reputation.

Garrett Barringer arrives in Charlotte, North Carolina to escape a past that no longer wants him. He takes an undisclosed position with Mr. Dupree. When it is revealed that part of Mr. Dupree’s purpose for bringing him on board is to chaperone his beloved daughter, Garrett abruptly discovers that he has taken on more than he bargained for. Abigail Dupree is more beguiling than any other woman he’s encountered, but he must resist his heart for the sake of propriety and to keep a promise made to her father.

When her father hires Garrett Barringer, a man that seems far too young to be a lawyer, and possesses far too many favorable characteristics, Abigail resists his charm but cannot deny her heart is compelling her toward him. But she will not allow the man to ruin an opportunity she has waited for nearly five years.

Garrett is suddenly aware what his life was and what it could become in the presence of Abigail Dupree. Will he be able to give up the woman who has stolen his heart, for her happiness?

Abigail stands to lose all if Garrett Barringer sees past her physical beauty and uncovers the ugliness of her imperfect past. Will Abigail continue on the condemned path she’s fashioned for herself, or trust that God wants a future for her she never believed possible?

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop| BookBub

Excerpt

Foolish woman. Abigail remained by the fireplace in the parlor, eyes slid closed in humiliation for the hundredth time since Garrett Barringer’s departure. She had stood on the threshold of spending time alone with the man. On the day before her departure, no less. An opportunity she never believed would have occurred.

Why then had she ruined her chances by blurting out most of her faults within the span of not even a full minute’s time? Faults he may not have even realized. Speaking liberally as if she were eager for his forgiveness. His approval.

Why had she not stayed upstairs instead of running back down, desperate to see him? Because she was eager to be near the man. More eager than even she had realized.



About The Author

Cindy Patterson

Award-winning author Cindy Patterson believes in captivating romance and happy endings. In her stories, she loves to give glimpses of how God can use brokenness and make them whole. She reads a lot, drinks too much coffee, and wishes she had more time to write. Author of Chasing Paradise, Broken Butterfly, and Shattered Treasure, she loves to connect with her readers.

Connect with Cindy by visiting cindypattersonbks.com to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.

Tour Giveaway

(2) winners will win a $25 Amazon Gift Card, a signed print copy of An Unlikely Arrangement and other book related gifts!

An Unlikely Arrangement JustRead Tours giveaway

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight April 16, 2024 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on April 23, 2024. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US/CAN only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

JustRead Publicity Tours

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Spotlight On Mystery/Supense — The Vanished

17 Apr

The Vanished JustRead Takeover + Review Blitz

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for The Vanished by Cara Putman hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About The Book

The Vanished

Title: The Vanished
Series: Secrets to Keep #1
Author: Cara Putman
Publisher: Kregel Publications
Release Date: April 16, 2024
Genre: Christian Mystery & Suspense

Janae Simmons left the small town of Kedgewick, Virginia, ten years ago to pursue her legal career and never looked back–until a professional mistake leads her to her grandmother’s historic carriage house and to the town where her past threatens to find her. The quiet streets echo with her grandfather’s sterling reputation, one that conflicts with fresh questions that claw at Janae, launching her on a reluctant journey to unearth his secrets. When her new job at a local law firm doesn’t live up to expectations, she wonders if coming home was the right decision.

Carter Montgomery starts his art preservation career with the only job he can get–director at the Elliott Museum of Art. At least Kedgewick is a nice enough town to provide him and his nephew with a safe place to grieve the loss of Carter’s sister. But Carter’s calm days disappear when an elderly woman claims two paintings in the museum’s collection were stolen from her family during World War II.

Carter enlists Janae’s help to unravel the legal labyrinth of art ownership, and the peaceful facade of Kedgewick morphs into a hot bed of secrets. When an attorney turns up dead and Janae uncovers another painting, what began as a simple legal issue spirals into a race against time. As the web of intrigue tightens, the duo must confront a looming question: What dark truths lie beneath the surface, waiting to be exposed?

“Putman’s legal expertise shines in this compelling and intricately plotted romantic suspense. Highly recommended!”

—Colleen Coble, USA Today best-selling author

“Cara Putman has once again created an exciting cast of characters. I was immediately drawn in by Janae and Carter’s unique chemistry. This is one story you don’t want to miss.”

—Rebecca Hemlock, award-winning author of Fury in the Shadows

Excerpt

She spent the short drive into downtown Kedgewick clearing her mind and steeling herself for the night. If she pretended she were about to enter the courtroom rather than an art gallery, maybe it wouldn’t feel so excruciating to wonder what the people who knew her as a teen thought of her now. It shouldn’t matter, but she’d left Kedgewick all those years ago to get a fresh start, and many might delight that she’d returned. And now she found that the in-your-face antagonism of the courtroom was preferable to the hidden barbs of “friends.” Still, part of her wished she were parking near the courthouse rather than on the edge of Monroe College. The courtroom had become her second home in the five years since law school. She hadn’t darkened the doors of Monroe College’s museum since finishing an art appreciation paper during Thanksgiving break of her junior year at Purdue. It felt like a lifetime ago, but the Virginia-limestone facade of the three-story museum sat unchanged, with couples walking up the steps and across the covered portico to the double doors. Now she was headed to some fancy event here—something she’d never done before. Light spilled from the museum each time one of the large front doors opened.

(pg 14)



PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook | Bookshop | BookBub

More Books in Series

We Three Kings

About The Author

Cara Putman

Cara Putman is the award-winning, best-selling author of more than thirty-five novels, including the Cornhusker Dreams series and the Hidden Justice series.

Connect with Cara by visiting caraputman.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a signed copy of the book, art-themed notebooks, and stickers that inspired the art stolen in the book!

The Vanished JustRead Giveaway

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight April 17, 2024 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on April 24, 2024. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

Enter Giveaway

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

JustRead Publicity Tours

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Top 10 Tuesday — Bookish Inns

16 Apr

Happy Tuesday! Today I am again tweaking the TTT prompt. Surprise, surprise! 😉 Instead of listing characters I would like to vacation with, I am spotlighting real life and fictional inns featured in books. While some of the places I’ve traveled to in my reading leave a bit to be desired as destinations (ghosts, disappearances, murders), I have enjoyed my vicarious stays. There are a variety of genres, so you should be able to find a book that sparks your interest.

For more on topic TTT posts, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Bookish Inns

Real Life Inns/Hotels Featured in Books

Ever Faithful by Karen Barnett (Old Faithful Inn)

The Lady in Residence by Allison Pittman (Menger Hotel)

A Stranger’s Game by Colleen Coble (Jekyll Island Club)

What The Mountains Remember by Joy Callaway (Grove Park Inn)

One Person’s Dream . . .

Home to Chicory Lane by Deborah Raney

On A Summer Tide by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Sandcastle Inn by Irene Hannon

Another Person’s Nightmare . . .

The Inn on Hanging Hill by Christy Barritt

Night Falls on Predicament Avenue by Jaime Jo Wright

Tidewater Inn by Colleen Coble

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Book Review: Sandcastle Inn

15 Apr

About The Book

Book: Sandcastle Inn

Author: Irene Hannon

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: April 2, 2024

Vienna Price never intended to return for more than a passing visit to Oregon and all the bad memories she’d left behind. But when your career tanks, home is where you go to nurse your wounds and chart a new course. Only temporarily, of course—because as much as she loves her quirky mom, anything more than a short stay would drive them both crazy.

A trip to Oregon isn’t in Matt Quinn’s plans, either, until a perfectly timed appeal for help arrives from his sister. What better place to decompress after a shattering loss than a quiet, seaside town named Hope Harbor? But R&R isn’t on the agenda when he arrives to find his sister’s new enterprise on life support.

Vienna, however, may have just the skills needed to resuscitate the foundering B&B—if Matt can convince her to hang around long enough to mend an inn . . . and his heart.

Click here to get your copy!

My Impressions:

It is always a treat to return to Hope Harbor, Oregon in the contemporary romance novels of Irene Hannon. Her series is now 10 books strong! And each successive story just gets better and better. I loved Sandcastle Inn! In this novel several newcomers are introduced to the small seaside town, but the community is so welcoming that they soon feel at home. Does it sound like I feel Hope Harbor is a real place? 😉 Hannon has created a wonderful setting with charming characters that have continued throughout the series. One old time resident and the two seagulls that seem to witness every new budding relationship are very special additions to each book. In Sandcastle Inn, Hannon focuses on several types of relationships — new romance, family dynamics, and a married couple. As always, the narrative’s main focus is on the the attraction and developing romantic relationship of the two main characters, but I really enjoyed how Hannon explored the varying types of relationships between parents and grown children and sibling relationships. The story line of the married couple was my favorite! All of the stories add a depth that make the book more than just a romance, as well as adding to the feeling that Hope Harbor really exists! A solid faith thread runs naturally throughout the narrative — it’s never preachy.

If you like contemporary romance with some small town charm and well-developed characters, then Sandcastle Inn is a must-read. I would recommend starting at the beginning of the series, though. While 10 books may sound daunting, think of all the fun you are going to have spending time in Hope Harbor!

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(Thanks to Celebrate Lit and the publisher for the complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

About The Author

Irene Hannon is the bestselling and award-winning author of more than 60 contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels. In addition to her many other honors, she is a three-time winner of the prestigious RITA Award from Romance Writers of America. She is also a member of RWA’s elite Hall of Fame and has received a Career Achievement Award from RT Book Reviews for her entire body of work.

More from Irene

In my world, the approach of April signals not only tulips, dogwoods, and daffodils, but a return to my little seaside town of Hope Harbor on the Oregon coast. And this year marks a milestone. Sandcastle Inn is the tenth book set in this charming locale.

When I conceived of this series back in 2013, neither I nor my editor had any idea how long it would run—or that Publishers Weekly would deem my small fictional town “a place of emotional restoration that readers will yearn to visit.”

But visit they have. Hundreds of thousands of copies of the books have been sold worldwide, the novels have been translated into multiple languages, and taco-making artist/town sage Charley Lopez has become an iconic figure.

It’s been an amazing journey—with more books to come.

If you’ve never visited Hope Harbor and are reluctant to dive in at this stage, no worries. Each book stands alone, with a whole new cast of main characters. Each story also begins and ends in each book, with no hanging plot threads from book to book. The town is the unifying element in the series—along with a few secondary characters like Charley, the bantering town clerics from neighboring churches, and the seagull couple Floyd and Gladys, who always seem to be around when romance is in the air.

If you’re new to the series, Sandcastle Inn is a fine jumping-off point. This story features a hero struggling to recoup from a tragic loss and a heroine still reeling from an unplanned career detour. When they join forces to save a floundering inn, challenges ensue…and sparks fly. Because if it’s Hope Harbor, there has to be romance!

The book resonates with multiple other themes too—dealing with grief, moving on, changing direction, mending past relationships, taking a leap of faith. And of course there’s a happy ending.

It’s the kind of book that will put a smile on your lips and hope in your heart.

So I invite you to find a comfy spot, pour a mug or cup of your favorite beverage, and travel with me to Hope Harbor, where hearts heal…and love blooms.

Insider’s Tip: If you ever decide to book a stay at Sandcastle Inn, ask for the seaside room upstairs at the end of the hall that leads to the right. The view is stunning!

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 4

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 4

Texas Book-aholic, April 5

Blogging With Carol, April 5

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 6

For Him and My Family, April 6

Jeanette’s Thoughts, April 7

Splashes of Joy, April 7

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, April 8

She Lives To Read, April 8

lakesidelivingsite, April 9

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 10

Southern Gal Loves to Read, April 10

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, April 11 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, April 11

Cover Lover Book Review, April 12

The Lofty Pages, April 13

Melissa’s Bookshelf, April 13

Blossoms and Blessings, April 14

Labor Not in Vain, April 14

Wishful Endings, April 15

By The Book, April 15

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, April 16

Pause for Tales, April 16

Batya’s Bits, April 17

JESUS in the EVERYDAY, April 17

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Irene is giving away the grand prize package of a full set of the Hope Harbor series (10 books) and a $50 Bookshop.org gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/2ac75/sandcastle-inn-celebration-tour-giveaway

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First Line Friday — West of Famous

12 Apr

Happy Friday! I am always adding to my TBR pile, how about you? A friend of mine really liked West of Famous, a suspense novel by Joni M. Fisher, so I said I would give it a try. To my surprise and happiness I found one of the endorsements to be written by friend and blogger, Iola Goulton! So two recommendations from people who have similar reading tastes as mine. Thanks Pat and Iola. The book is now in the queue!

But for now, here’s the first line:

Martina Ramos opened her eyes in hazy darkness on a cold floor which reeked of vomit and a chemical she couldn’t identify.

This contemporary suspense story, set in Florida, features a strong female protagonist facing the issues of identity, mortality, and survival after kidnappers mistake her for a celebrity. The boating community known as Loopers play a key role in the story.

This is the third book in the Compass Crimes series, which is a collection of stories linked by an ensemble cast of characters. Each book can stand alone. Each book features a different heroine and a life-changing crime. The stories are linked by the alliances, friendships, and occupations of the characters common to the stories. While some of the stories contain a romantic subplot, some do not. In the aftermath of each crime, the relationships between these characters grow deeper and stronger.

Joni M. Fisher writes suspenseful crime stories about heroines who don’t wait to be rescued. Her Compass Crimes suspense series has garnered attention in Publisher’s Weekly, the National Indie Excellence Awards, the Clue Book Awards, the Royal Palm Literary Awards, the Next Generation Indie Book Awards, the Kindle Book Awards, and others. She served on the Arts and Humanities Advisory Board for Southeastern University and is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and the Florida Writers Association. She’s also an instrument-rated private pilot. Her fingerprints are on file with the FBI.

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