Romance is in the air this month. This trio of books covers my favorite eras of reading about Civil War, Suspense, and a new favorite per-Victorian. The pre-Victorian novel, To Stop a Scoundrel, by Abigail Bridges, is based in the year 1825, in London. This is twelve years before the reign of Queen Victoria. I have never been so drawn into a book like this one. At one ball scene, I felt as though I was standing next to Lady Rose Timmons, looking through the plants with a watchful eye on her younger sister glide across the ballroom floor, as she made sure the young man her sister was with didn’t take advantage of her. She took up an unlikely partnership with a childhood friend, Thomas Philip Elihu Ashton, Marquess of Newbury, and his brothers. They had moved away and developed a disreputable reputation and came back when their father demanded them to return. They worked together to watch both of their sisters at the season’s balls. Does their old relationship reignite? You’ll have to read this can’t put the book down to find out. I will give you a warning. This is not a Christian romance and is steamy. The second book in this series, A Rouge Like You, comes out on February 28th. I can’t wait to read that one too. No one does Civil War Romance novel like Sandra Merville Hart. They are full of historical information about the Civil War. I’ve learned things I didn’t learn from my Jr. High school history teacher. Her focus has been on the south. Her new series, Spies of the Civil War, takes place in the North. The first book of the series, Avenue of Betrayal, is definitely an eye opener and tissues nearby read. A family keeps the fact their son/brother has switched to the south a secret leaves you with a lump in your throat. Were they successful? How could the sisters become romantically involved with Union Army members? You will have read this book to find out. Are you looking for some suspense with romance mixed in? Darlene L. Turner’s new book, Safe House Expose, is right up your alley.
When the Canadian Witness Protection Program becomes compromised, police constable Mason James goes undercover to find the mole. Unsuccessful, he heads back to Canada. He gets a phone call from his dad, the chief Superintendent, that his dead brother’s wife and daughter are on the list. He rushes to their house. Does he get there in time? Can he keep them safe? Does Mason get the bad guys?
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Summer starts June twentieth. In Death Valley, California, the temperature will be around one hundred and twenty degrees. Time to hit the beach or the pool. If you can’t do either of those, then stay inside your air-conditioned house, pour a glass of ice tea, grab some good books, and enjoy reading them. I want to thank these ladies for influencing my in my writing. Here are my reccomendations. Click on the pictures to get the links to the authors page and the books on Amazon. Eva Marie Everson is the president of Word Weavers International and a multiple-award-winning author. From Suspense, Southern Romance, to Biographies, she’s written something for everyone to enjoy. Her latest novel, "Dust", follows the of Allison Middleton, the choices she makes and how they changed her life. It challenges the reader to think about their choices and the legacy they are leaving. Do you wish it is Christmas time? The next two books are sure to have you sitting by the fireplace and sipping hot chocolate with mini-marshmallows. This contemporary “A Christmas Carol” requires a box of tissues. Charlene Dixon will become a friend, and you too will call her Charlie. After being let go from her job, she returns to the mountains of North Carolina. To her grandmother’s house, who raised her. She finds herself as she helps the local school with their Christmas play, “A Christmas Carol”. Can a lifetime of Christmas ornaments reunite Felicia and Jackson Morgan? Felicia un packs them and the memories they bring up, and the one thing that could heal the marriage. Author, editor, mentor, encourager... are just a sampling of the hats Ramona Richards wears. Still need something to help chill you down? Something that will give you goosebumps? I can promise you in her books someone is cold, stone cold, dead. I couldn’t put this book down, both times I read it. Just in, “Burying Daisy Doe” has won 2020 Foreword INDIES in Religous Adult Fiction. A cold case from 1954. Star Cavanaugh returns the town of Pineville, Alabama, to solve this case that has torn her family a part. With only two people in town, she could trust. She struggled to believe in the God they trusted to solve this case. What is she to do? "Murder in the Family" won the 2020 Selah Award Fiction Book of the Year. It is not hard to see why when you read it. Molly McClelland, storm chaser, not a fan of being a detective, but she can’t let go of the thought her hoarder aunt was murdered. An old family dispute is rekindled. Can she surrive and find the truth about her aunt's death? So, the summer heat is still too much for you. Let’s go to Canada and cool off with Darlene L. Turner and the Beyond Borders series. She is Publisher’s Weekly Best-Selling Author and after reading her books I understand why. I sit on the edge of my seat with my heart racing, breath stilled, while hiding with the heros. The details she puts in, you feel the cold, the surroundings smell and hear the gun shots as they wiz past. Her books have become my textbooks for writing. "Boder Breach" will keep you ducking for cover at every turn. Canada border officer Kaylin Poirier became the target of a drug smuggling ring, due to a press conference, her dad, the chief of police, gave putting her as the one in charge. The smugglers come after her at the border, where she teams up again with police constable Hudson Steeves. As he suspected, she is being watched. Who put the target on her back? Can they take down the drug smugglers and not end up dead themselves? "Abducted in Alaska" will have you putting your winter clothes on in the middle of summer. Canadian border patrol officer Hannah Morgan and police constable Layke Jackson, team up to protect a young boy who escaped his captors that are connected to a child-smuggling ring. Snow storm on top of a deep snow already, dodging bullets, and staying ahead of the smugglers all to keep the boy safe. What about the others boys that were taken from the camping trip? Can they survive? Lethal Cover-Up is up for pre-order. It is coming July 27, 2021. I can't wait to read it.
Pick up a couple books and enjoy them as you try to keep cool this Summer.
The year is 1958. The group is the Everly Brothers. The song title is “All I Have to do is Dream”. I wasn’t born when this song came out. However, my mom had one of the Everly Brothers’ records with that song on it. It wasn’t until the mid-70s did I listen to it. As a fiction writer, I now realize how important that song is to the writing process. After all, isn’t that what most of fiction writing is? You sit at a keyboard and type out what you see in your mind's eye. When you get stuck where you need to go next, you sit and stare at an empty page, and nothing gets added to it. You have reread your story several times, and the page is still blank. The best type of dream to help get past this is to daydream. You remember how to do that, right? Let’s go back to when you were in school and the teacher sounded like Charlie Brown’s teacher. Blah Blah Blah. You look out the window and start thinking of being on the plane you see flying past and thinking of what exotic place it is going to. Yes, it is that type of dreaming in your character’s POV you do. Your window is where the character is at and where is the plane taking them to. Soon you will be on that flight and typing away. Another thing about daydreaming, you might ride in a car, be standing in a long line at a store, or in the shower when a scene pops in your mind. What do you do? Well, writing in the car can be rather messy and hard to decipher later. You can with your phone, write a note, email, make a voice recording, or even send a text message to yourself. The same with standing in a line, or have a notepad on you and write it out. As for the shower, if you have Google or Alexa, you can leave a note and pay it back later. Have you ever woke up in the middle of the night from a dream that was a perfect fit for your story. I’ve sat in bed and wrote a chapter on my phone and email it to myself. Now here is the funny part. My husband is hard of hearing and sleeps without his hearing aids. He can’t hear a thing, yet I choose to type it out on the phone instead of voice dictation because I don’t want to wake him up. Here is one of my favorite quotes on writing. "Writing is nothing more than a guided dream." — Jorge Luis Borges (Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash)
When you have a death in the family it rocks the family to the core. Imagine what it is like to have a family member murdered and it has been decades as a cold case.
Roman Richards has done a wonderful job in writing "Burying Daisy Doe". That fact you can't put the book down once you start it, it artistry of Romana's writing transports you into the story to where you feel as though you were there experiencing it, from the diner with it's smells and conversations, to the spring air. The time slips from 1954 to the present day carry along like a boat ride at a major theme park. Watch out for the twist, turns, and the downhill fall for the unexpected splash in the dark. If you are looking for a Star to put on the top of your gift list, this is the first of the Star Cavanaugh series. Any of your suspense readers on your gift list will enjoy "Burying Daisy Doe". “Don’t just be your best. Be the best.” pg. 17
As a writer, have you ever wanted to sit down a talk shop with an editor? Ramona Richards has done just that in her new book, “Tracking Changes”. She has taken the fear out of working with an editor. This book is full of encouragement whether you are a plotter or pantser. The bottom line is we all need an encouraging word in the lonely world of being a writer. My favorite chapter is on body language. I would much rather know how the character stated the line: hands on hips, tears streaming like a river, stood braced as he reeled in the biggest fish he ever caught… than just a dry “said Jane.” “Learning body language cues is an essential part of an author’s craft.” pg. 94 “Tracking Changes” should be on every writer’s desk, because we all need encouragement. Have you ever been stuck between you values and being bulled for them? I have. "The Elijah Mandate" is more than what I went through. It is what happens when you are stuck with an office of people that will do what they have to in order move up the ladder. Even if it is to make you look as the worst possible human ever.
I couldn't put it down. The way Lisa wove what happened to Elijah just as it was happening in the story; is inspiring even though it was centuries ago. It proves that the only One who has your back is God. If I could spend the whole day writing I would do it but the dogs have their own agenda. The cat even takes over the computer at times. When I do find the time to write, I'm torn between to which WIP (Work in Progress) do I work on. There are four that I'm working on and two that are connected to the main one I'm focused on. The main piece I'm working on is something if you told me a couple of years ago I would be writing I wouldn't believe you. It is a romantic suspense. Jessi Watson just received her doctorate in criminology from Florida State University. At the request of Detective Travis Long, she takes her rather large dog on a trip from Florida to Texas. There is danger everywhere and of course romance. It also involves a murder from 1925. This is the first book in a trilogy. My next book is a Biblical Historic Fiction. This book has taken a lot of research, which has led me to write a different view than what most writers have written about, Rahab. For instance have you looked at the story in the Bible and thought about the way it resembles the story of the exodus from Egypt? Also I never thought I would write a book like this one. Right now Rahab and her family are learning about becoming apart of the Hebrews. This is part of the series of the women in the family tree of Jesus. What is more my style of writing is a couple of devotionals. The first one is about the various women of the Bible and their fellowship with God. The first example is Eve and how she lost fellowship with God yet, He sought a way to heal the relationship. It was never the same but He still cared for her and her family. My fourth WIP is a devotional that is very personal to me. It is based on my life growing up with a verbally, mentally, and emotionally abusive dad. It is my cries out to my Heavenly Father and His response. There is also so of the taunts I went through in school from a bunch of girls. I a'm looking at getting this out to young ladies that are or have gone or going through abuse to let them know they are not alone. You can contact me on the contact page by email or leave a comment. Photo by Katrin Hauf on Unsplash
Show Don't Tell is one of the hardest things I had to retrain my brain to do. After all when we were in school who didn't look forward to Show and Tell days. The is one of those days from first grade I remember very clear, maybe not so clear because I can't remember the name of the girl who spoke so I will use the name Penny for her. The first paragraph will be telling while you can see the difference in showing.
Penny walked to the front of the classroom and began to tell her story. "This weekend I was playing outside and got stung by several bees." A boy shouted out. "Did you cry? I got stung by a bee and it was worse than a shot." "No, they didn't hurt just itch." Penny said as she scratched at her back. "Where are they?" Another boy asked. "I don't see them." "They are mostly on my back. Here is a new one on my arm." Penny pointed to a red spot just above her left elbow. "There are a lot more than what you showed me when you got to school this morning, Penny." The teacher made a phone call to the office from the black phone hanging on the wall. "Mom said it takes time for some of the stings to show up." Penny scratched at her arms and her face which had a couple of red spots appear. "You're lying Penny. The teacher called the office on you." The second boy shouted. When the nurse appeared at the door of the room, she made Penny get her things, and go with her. The rest of the class went to lunch. When we came back from lunch Penny was still gone. "Where is Penny?" One of her friends asked. "She won't be back for awhile." The teacher said as she handed a math paper to each one of us. When it was time to go home she pinned a letter to our parents stating that Penny had Chicken Pox. A week later I had them thanks to Penny, I itched all over. Penny stood for her turn at Show and Tell. "This weekend I was playing outside and got stung by several bees." "Did you cry? I got stung by a bee and it was worse than a shot." The boy cringed at the thought. "No. They just itch." Penny scratched her back. "Where are they? I don't see them." Another boy cast his doubts short of calling her a liar. "They are mostly on my back." Penny rubbed her arm. "Here is a new one." "There are a lot more than what you showed me this morning, Penny." Teacher made a call from the phone on the wall. "Mom said it takes time for some of the stings to show up." Penny scratched her face and arms. "You're lying Penny. Teacher called the office on you." The second boy chided. The nurse appeared at the door, she made Penny get her things, and go with her. When we came back from lunch, Penny was still gone. "Where is Penny? Her friend voiced her concern. "She won't be back for awhile." Teacher handed us a math paper. She called us one by one and pinned a notice on us to inform our parents we had been exposed to chickenpox. A week later I had them. Here is an example of telling; The teacher made a phone call to the office from the black phone hanging on the wall. Same line in showing: Teacher made a call from the phone on the wall. In the telling example we are told who the teacher was calling, what color the phone was and it was hanging on the wall. The showing example leaves it up to the reader who the teacher called and what color the phone was. It also left out the unnecessary information that the phone was hanging on the wall. The next example of telling; Penny scratched at her arms and her face which had a couple of red spots appear. And showing; Penny scratched her face and arms. It is obvious more have broken out and where if she is scratching them. The last example of telling; When the nurse appeared at the door of the room, she made Penny get her things, and go with her. The rest of the class went to lunch. When we came back from lunch, Penny was still gone. Showing; The nurse appeared at the door, she made Penny get her things, and go with her. When we came back from lunch Penny was still gone. We know where the kids and teacher are at and that is where the nurse would have gone. We can drop the line about going to lunch because the next thing we know they were back from lunch and Penny was still gone. I didn't tell you how my mom found out I had the chickenpox. She was getting me ready for school, went to part my hair, and at the top of my head she popped a large chickenpox. It left a large scar and as I wrote this it kept itching. Make sure you have a box of tissues next to you when you read this book. It is perfect for what we are going through. If you know anyont that lost there mom due to death this book is a must have. Myrna shares her story so beautifully the emotions run full tears ahead. She didn't stop there. When others found out what she was doing they shared with her their story to add to the book. The whole purpose for this book is to be a support to someone that lost their mom. The fact that it is not just her story but others too make it something every woman can identify with.
Although each story may take you through the "Valley of the Shadow of Death", each story also tells you what helped them through those hard times. You can get the book at Amazon and I don't get anything for you buying it. Just click on the book cover to go there. If your looking for another book to read while stuck at home, look no futher. "God's Best during your worst" will not only remind you that even now we are God's umbrella but inspire you to keep pushing on.
Robin went from being fine and active one minute to bing out of control, unable to move the next, and once at the hospital given days to live. What got her through this is her faith and hope in God, exactly what the world needs at this time. One of the best statments that Robin made in the book, fits really good for what is going on now. "When we clear confusion from our mind, we have a better chance to accept that life was never meant to be easy. It can be messy … some times are messier than others. But when we find ourselves in a messy situation—or in a full-blown tragedy—our only option is to push through. " #GodsBestDuringYourWorst |