I love this cozy mystery. I love Mae and Hank and Fifi. I think my favorite secondary character is Dottie. She reminds me of the crazy lady you always hear about in small towns. This newest book in the series gets back into some of Mae’s past and I hope we get to learn even more in future stories. I always love the descriptions of the Daniel Boone National Forest. I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
I give this book a five out of five stars.
Welcome to Normal, Kentucky~ where nothing is normal. A Campers and Criminal Mystery Series is another brainchild of USA Today Bestselling Author Tonya Kappes. If you love her quirky southern characters and small town charm with a mystery to solve, you’re going to love her new cozy mystery series!
This is a very enjoyable set of five novellas written by five authors that all come together around six friends, Christmas and a tiara. Each story was about a different college friend who finds love and marries during the Christmas season. If you enjoy clean romance you will enjoy each of these stories. The first story was my favorite because the main character is not a skinny minny. I hope to read more books by each of these authors. I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
I give this book a four out of five stars.
Publisher Description
Old friends, new loves, and a borrowed tiara.
Always Been Yours by Jaycee Weaver — Hanady’s planning her dream wedding, but her injured best friend Keenan isn’t the groom. If she can’t see she’s marrying the wrong guy soon, his leg won’t be the only thing broken.
All the Moore by Toni Shiloh — Leilah Anderson has been living behind the screen to hide her disability, then she meets Reggie Moore face-to-face. Can their relationship survive the truth and distance between them?
A Holly, Bolly Christmas by Mikal Dawn — A dream wedding venue at Christmas? Sign Chahna Kapoor up. Even if her fiancé doesn’t know it…
Somehow, This Christmas by Teresa Tysinger — When not-so-merry mishaps threaten wedding planner Cate Forsyth’s holiday wedding and reputation, will her own happily ever after with sweetheart Noah Bennett melt away?
A Promise So Sweet by Andrea Boyd — Lydia Osborn hasn’t heard from her ex in ten years, so imagine her surprise when he shows up proposing marriage. Tis the season for love?
This is a story of a few generations of a family. This shows how life really is. The story starts in 1905 and goes to 2012. This shows the ups and downs that occur within a family during each persons lifetime. I laughed and cried. I think my favorite character was Jenny because she always seemed to become the caretaker throughout her life. I received a copy of this book from Smith Publicity for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
I give this story a four out of five stars.
When Ida and her daughter Bessie flee a catastrophic program in Ukraine for America in 1905, they believe their emigration will ensure that their children and grandchildren will be safe from harm. But choices and decisions made by one generation have ripple effects on those who come later—and in the decades that follow, family secrets, betrayals, and mistakes made in the name of love threaten the survival of the family. A sweeping saga that follows three generations from the tenements of Brooklyn through WWII, from Woodstock to India, and from Spain to Israel, How to Make a Life is the story of a family who must learn to accept each other’s differences—or risk cutting ties with the very people who anchor their place in the world.
This story starts out making you sad since Melissa just sees her mother killed and she finds out she has been in witness protection since she was very young. Then we get twists and turns. Melissa and her son are targets and Miles has to protect and save them. I did not put this book down until I was finished reading. I love the Avery family and hope to see more of his This story starts out making you sad since Melissa just sees her mother killed and she finds out she has been in witness protection since she was very young. Then we get twists and turns. Melissa and her son are targets and Miles has to protect and save them. I did not put this book down until I was finished reading. I love the Miles’ family and hope to see more of his sister and brothers. I love the slight amount of romance and all of the suspense. I received a copy of this book from Celebratelit and the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.sister and brothers. I love the slight amount of romance and all of the suspense. I received a copy of this book from Celebratelit and the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
I give the book a five out of five stars.
About the Book
Book: Texas Holiday Hideout
Author: Virginia Vaughan
Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense
Release Date: October 1, 2020
When her identity’s exposed,
hiding on a lawman’s family ranch is her last hope.
After her mother is killed, Melissa Morgan’s shocked to learn she’s spent her life in witness protection. Now it’s US marshal Miles Avery’s job to keep her and her little boy safe. And with a mole in his agency, the only way to evade the killer is to hide Melissa on Miles’s family ranch…and pretend she’s his wife for the holidays.
Virginia Vaughan is a multi-published author of inspirational romantic suspense. Blessed to come from a large, southern family, her fondest memories include listening to stories recounted by family and friends around the large dinner table. She was a lover of books even from a young age, devouring gothic romance novels and stories of romance, danger, and love. She soon started writing them herself. A former investigator for the State of Mississippi, Virginia utilizes her criminal justice background with her love of writing to transform words into powerful stories of romance and danger.
More from Virginia
What if one day you discovered you were in the Witness Protection Program and didn’t know it?
This is the premise for my October book, TEXAS HOLIDAY HIDEOUT, which releases this month. My heroine, Melissa Morgan, learns she and her mother entered the program when Melissa was a child. Her mother never told her and, when Melissa witnesses her mother being murdered, she becomes the assassin’s next target. US Marshal Miles Avery steps in to protect the single mom and her son from a killer, but a leak in WITSEC leaves him with little options except to take his witnesses to his family’s ranch…and pretend she’s his wife for the holidays.
So, in celebration of TEXAS HOLIDAY HIDEOUT releasing this month, here are 10 things about the Witness Protection Security Program (or WITSEC) I learned during my research for this book.
The program is voluntary. No one can be forced to enter.
You can leave the program at any time—although it is not recommended.
No person in the program, who follows the rules, has ever been killed.
People entering WITSEC sometimes keep their same first name and/or initials so that if they mess up and start to sign their name, they have time to correct.
Since WITSEC is a federal program, many states have their own programs to protect witnesses of gang or street-level crimes.
If you get married while in WITSEC, you must lie to your new spouse to protect your true identity in the event the relationship doesn’t last.
Protected witnesses are mostly criminals. Only about 5% are innocents despite the popular trope in movies and fiction.
Local law enforcement may or may not be notified when a protected witness is relocated to their jurisdiction.
Divorced, non-custodial parents have had their children hidden from them and now must agree to allow their children to enter the program.
WITSEC protected witnesses are expected to eventually become self-sufficient. They do not get to live off the government for the rest of their lives.
Did any of these facts about WITSEC surprise you? I’d love to hear which ones. I had a lot of fun researching WITSEC for TEXAS HOLIDAY HIDEOUT. I hope you enjoy Miles and Melissa’s story! Look out for the next book in the series—middle brother Navy SEAL Paul Avery’s story—coming in TEXAS TARGET STANDOFF in March of 2021.
I really enjoyed these four novellas that all revolve around a certain tree in a certain town. Each of the stories take place in different years but they are all connected through the families in this town. I loved the characters in each story. I love the romance and the love that happens in each story. The four authors that wrote the stories were all true to what happened in the first story. These stories show how the tree, town and the towns people grow with the years. I did not want to put this book down. I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
I give this book a five out of five stars.
Bestselling novelist Karen Witemeyer joins award-winning authors Regina Jennings, Amanda Dykes, and Nicole Deese for this Texas-sized romance novella collection. Each of the authors’ unique voices is on display in stories where courting couples leave a permanent mark of their love by carving their initials into the same oak’s bark. In Regina Jennings’ Broken Limbs, Mended Fences, a small-town teacher has her credentials questioned by a traveling salesman.In Karen Witemeyer’s Inn for a Surprise, two opinionated collaborators with conflicting visions must turn a doomed business venture into a successful romantic retreat. From Roots to Sky by Amanda Dykes follows a young WWII naval airman who heads to Texas to meet the sister of a lost compatriot. Heartwood by Nicole Deese is a modern-day romance about the groundskeeper of a historic inn who’s reunited with someone from her past while she fights to save a town landmark.
Very good story. This is a wonderful coming of age story along with the main character learning a life long lesson. I loved the use of Charles Dickens The Christmas Carol. I enjoyed learning a little bit of how the Vaudeville scene worked. There are some parts that will make you cry. I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
I give this book a four out of five stars.
Annalise Rycroft has spent her whole life afraid she’ll be lost to obscurity. She wants nothing more than to be viewed as someone important.
Anna grew up traveling with her family on the Vaudeville circuit with dreams of becoming a shining star. She has talent. Unfortunately, as a young girl, she also has fears that she will have to overcome if she is going to be successful.
With a powerful voice able to mesmerize audiences, Anna is paralyzed by stage fright. But that’s not her only fear. Her deepest fear is that she’ll be lost to obscurity, becoming part of the “surplus population” spoken of by Ebenezer Scrooge in her favorite book A Christmas Carol. During the 1918 flu epidemic, Anna has a strange experience where characters from her favorite book unlock a hidden part of her past—a past that involves an absent father and missing younger brother. Dismissed as a fever dream, Anna pushes aside not only the dream but her fears as she pursues the stage.
Years pass, and eventually Anna finds the career success she desired. Yet even as an adult, she is driven by unfilled longings. She wants to marry her leading man Frederick Mansfield—only Frederick has fears and failings of his own. Leaving the drunk lush and philanderer behind, Anna pushes toward even greater stardom only to discover that the fever dream was based on reality, when her dad Charles surprises her with a visit. As she spends more time with her father, she learns she must choose between her fear of being seen as part of the “surplus population” or to courageously believe and act in a way that shows everyone has significance.
This is a group of Amish stories written by male authors. I enjoy each of these authors. Each story has some romance and a lot of inspiration. Each of these stories gives a slightly different view of the Amish people and their faith. I received a copy of this book from Celebratelit for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
I give this book a four out of five stars.
About the Book
Book: The Amish Menorah
Author: The Men of Amish Fiction
Genre: Amish Fiction
Release Date: May 13, 2020
Come sit and enjoy!
Six short stories by the men of Amish fiction to entertain and educate you. You’ll journey with an Amish man and the Jewish woman whose life he saves, agonize with an Amish girl in love with an Englische man, fret with two sisters both in love with the same man, pray with the family whose child is injured in a fall, work with the Amish sheriff in a western town, and laugh at the girl forced to be Amish for the summer.
To know Wil, one would probably not think of him as an author. He is a husband, a father, a Christian, a veteran, a business owner, and a servant. He has led a life of bold and diverse experiences that immediately capture one’s attention. Wil has an unexpected artistic and creative side—something that might be considered uncommon, given his life’s works. Wil’s greatest inner strength is his expression and creativity. His life’s works give a credit to his writing that few other fiction authors possess. This generates a vivid degree of realism above and beyond other works of fiction.
Amazon bestselling author Patrick E. Craig is a lifelong writer and musician who left a successful music career to become a pastor in 1986. In 2007 he retired to concentrate on writing and publishing fiction books. In 2013, Harvest House Publishers published his first Amish series, Apple Creek Dreams. Patrick and his wife, Judy, live in Idaho. They have two daughters and Five grandchildren. Patrick is represented by the Steve Laube Agency
Jerry Eicher was born to Amish parents, and raised in an Amish settlement in Honduras, Central America. The family returned stateside in the late seventies, when Jerry was sixteen. He spent his youth with a beloved Amish youth group in Belle Center, Ohio, and was married in 1983 to Tina Schmucker, whose parents had moved to the community from Nappanee, Indiana. Jerry and Tina left the Amish to join the Mennonites after the birth of their second son. He wrote his first work in the early twenties, a fictionalized version of his childhood in Central America. His second title was an Amish love story— Sarah. Since then Jerry has published over thirty fiction titles and sold nearly a million books.
Thomas Nye writes novels about Amish life, with a touch of romance, and a foundation of faith in Christ. He and his wife, Shari, live on her family farm where they raised five children. They have seven grandchildren and a team of draft horses. Thomas walks a mail route for the US Postal Service. It keeps him close to nature and a affords many quiet hours in which to dream up novels. “Over three decades of friendships with Amish neighbors has revealed a simple wisdom that inspires my writing.” To find out more about Thomas Nye and his books, visit: amishhorses.blogspot.com
Murray Pura has over twenty-four novels to his credit and, in addition, has published dozens of short stories, novellas,,and poems along with numerous books of non-fiction. He has worked with Baker, Barbour, Zondervan, Harvest House, MillerWords, HarperCollins, Harlequin, Harper One and Elk Lake Publishing. His fiction has won or been short listed for a number of literary prizes. Pura has lived in the UK, the Middle East, the USA and Canada. He now makes his home in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta.
Amos Wyse was born in the Midwest. Spending a great deal of his youth around good, hard-working farmers, those who lived near them and worked with them. When writing, he keeps those people and the life lessons they taught close by.
More from The Men of Amish
The Amish Menorah and Other Stories was born out of a happy meeting between Patrick E. Craig and Thomas Nye at an Amish writers and readers event put on by Connie Spradling Lynch in Shipshewana, Indiana in 2019. Most of these readers did not know that there were several men who wrote Amish fiction. So Patrick and Tom decided to do something about that. After the conference, invitations went out to Murray Pura, Willard Carpenter, Jerry Eicher and Amos Wyse. Deb Haggerty at Elk Lake Publishers signed on and The Amish Menorah came to be.
Patrick E. Craig
As always, the six of us male authors of Amish fiction, have the goal of writing interesting and inspiring stories about Amish life. Collectively, our purpose in putting together The Amish Menorah, was to offer a sampling of Amish novellas written by men. There are only a few of us guys and dozens of women writing Amish novels. This book is an opportunity for readers of Amish fiction to sample six of our writing styles in one setting.
The Biblical description of a Menorah is a seven-flame lampstand. We like to think of our six stories in the Amish Menorah as six flames, each shining a unique light on Amish life. Our prayer is that you, our readers, will become that seventh flame as you join us by reading The Amish Menorah.
To celebrate their tour, The Men of Amish Fiction are giving away the grand prize package of copy of The Amish Menorah and Other Stories, a copy of Samson and Amish Delilah (by Thomas Nye), and an Amish coloring book designed for Amish children and sold in Amish stores!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
This story has a lot of intrigue and just enough romance. I did not want to put this book down. I loved the twists and turns. This has great characters. I loved each of the different storylines. We get to know a lot about a bunch of characters. I enjoy reading about women who want to work as analysts and spies and more while I am such a homebody. This is so well written. I can’t wait to read the next story. I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
I give this book a five out of five stars.
CIA analyst Layla Karam is thrust into a dangerous DEA field operation against a cartel that puts a target on her back. Though Layla never wanted to be a field agent, Langley had other ideas. After one of her team members is murdered because of fallout from the op, Layla is left scrambling to find safety.At the same time, the CIA opens up an internal investigation against her. Out of options, Layla turns to ex-boyfriend and private investigator Hunter McCoy for help finding out who might want to ruin her career.Layla and Hunter soon discover a mole inside the DEA has sold out the team’s identity to the cartel. She must clear her name with the Agency and protect herself and her teammates from cartel retaliation. With threats on all sides, Layla must put her trust in Hunter–the man who broke her heart–and hope they both come out of it alive. For those who are content sensitive: this book contains non-graphic scenes and descriptions of physical and sexual assault.
This is a group of four Amish romance novellas that are from four of my favorite authors. These are each based around Christmas and weddings. I did not want to put this book down. As soon as I finished one novella I started the next one. Each novella had great characters. It is always fun to see how each writer shows a slightly different view of how each Amish community is viewed. If you enjoy reading about Christmas and Amish you will love these stories. I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
I give this book a five out of five stars.
Publisher Description
From bestselling authors of Amish fiction come four delightful stories perfect for celebrating love, joy, and the everyday miracles Christmas brings.
Evergreen Love by Amy Clipston
Ryan Lapp had promised to marry Lorene Bontrager as soon as he was able to build them a house, but the day never came. Ryan moved away. Five years later, Lorene has settled in to her old maid role, and she’s shocked when her younger sister announces her quick engagement to Ryan’s younger brother. As they rush to plan the wedding, Lorene is constantly around the family she almost joined. Worse, she’s forced to face Ryan himself, who has returned to town. As both Ryan and Lorene examine their own feelings, they must decide if they can find grace with each other–and the young people they once were–this Christmas season. There just might still be love in their future.
Holiday of Hope by Kelly Irvin
Henry Lufkin is one of four bachelors who lived in the West Kootenai, Montana, cabins that were destroyed by wildfires. He’s the only one of them who hasn’t since married, but he likes his solitude. Then an old friend asks him to care for his son, and Henry has to share his small cabin and his life with bewildered and rebellious ten-year-old Tommy. When the child encounters trouble at school, Henry reaches out to Tommy’s teacher. Leesa Yoder never expected to find herself single and teaching sixteen young scholars, and she certainly didn’t anticipate an inexperienced bachelor telling her how to do her job. Amid the flying sparks, can Henry and Leesa see that there might be hope and love in this unexpected situation?
Wreathed in Joy by Kathleen Fuller
Mary Wengerd and Jakob Mullet have been best friends since childhood. Pressured by friends and family, they decided to date–with disastrous results. When they break up, their friendship is ruined. A year later, Mary is baking her Englisch friend’s wedding and groom cakes for a Christmas Eve wedding. Mary loves the Christmas season, and had always dreamed of marrying during that time. Now she wonders if she’ll ever marry. After she and Jakob form a tenuous new friendship, Mary breaks her arm. As he steps in to help her with the cakes, Mary is inexplicably and suddenly falling for him. But they’ve already dated, and that ended so horribly. Could it be better this time?
A Christmas Prayer by Vannetta Chapman
Widower Micah Miller runs the Amish Tour Company, offering Englischers a glimpse of a simpler life as well as tea at Rachel King’s. Rachel has never married and has recently lost her parents. When Micah comes across an abandoned and injured dog, he gives it to Rachel for company. As Rachel is charmed by the dog and shocked by news of the existence of family she never expected, her heart and mind bend toward the possibilities of change in her life–even toward the possibility of love.
I loved reading this story. I laughed and cried. It was so sad for a teenager to get leukemia. This story showed what this child and his whole family went through as they fought this disease. This story also tackles a young adult learning who her biological parents were. I loved the characters and the romance and how it showed that no matter how we plan life happens. I received a copy of this book from Read with Audra for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
I give this book a five out of five stars.
TOUR DATES: OCTOBER 6-27 (tour schedule at the end of this email)
Now, go buy your copy of The Plans We Made online or at a local bookstore, then be sure to head to Lauren’s website to claim your bonus freebie!
THREE CUSTOM PENCILS: Make Your Plans in Pencil The Plans We Made Proverbs 19:21 Just contact Lauren with your name, address, and where you purchased the book, and she’ll send you a set. That’s it! (US only and get ’em while they last.)
About the book:
When past secrets hold the only key to hope for the future… Caroline Chapman is reeling from a broken engagement. Determined to start again, she moves cross-country for her dream job of planning events in the historical mansions of Newport, Rhode Island. Just as her life is getting back on track, she gets an email that shakes her very foundations. Linda Riley’s life looks picture perfect – a wonderful husband, two great kids, involved in church and the community. Then comes the diagnosis that shatters the facade. In order to save her son’s life, she must reveal secrets that can rip everything apart. Connected by more than painful circumstances, these two women discover a sacred bond. In this beautiful story of love, loss, and the fight for life, Caroline and Linda experience the reality that life doesn’t always go according to The Plans We Made.
About the authors:
Kathryn Cushman graduated with a degree in pharmacy from Samford University. After hanging up her lab coat, she shifted her focus toward writing. Her previous works have received multiple nominations for both the Carol Award and the Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award. The Plans We Made is her tenth published novel. Learn more at kathryncushman.com. Follow Kathryn on Facebook (@authorkathryncushman) and Instagram (katiecushman1). Lauren Beccue graduated from Holy Cross with a BA in English and now lives with her family in Santa Barbara. She writes about faith and family, with an emphasis on agricultural passages of the Bible. This is her first novel.Learn more at laurenbeccue.com. Follow Lauren on Facebook (@beccue.lauren) and Instagram (@lauren_beccue).
Tour schedule:
A Glimpse of Our Life 10/6/2020 Book Reviews From an Avid Reader 10/6/2020 Colleen Richman 10/6/2020 Life of Literature 10/6/2020 Words By Design 10/6/2020 Girls in White Dresses 10/7/2020 As He Leads is Joy 10/8/2020 Batya’s Bits 10/8/2020 Faith Hope & Joy 10/9/2020 Hallie Reads 10/9/2020 Hanging Off The Wire 10/9/2020 Bigreadersite 10/10/2020 reviewingbooksplusmore 10/10/2020 A Busy Mom of Two 10/11/2020 Remembrancy 10/11/2020 Everyday Shortcuts 10/12/2020 Happily Managing a Household of Boys 10/12/2020 A Christian Writer’s World 10/12/2020 sunny island breezes 10/13/2020 Adventures of a Travelers Wife 10/14/2020 Inklings and Notions 10/15/2020 Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses 10/16/2020 Clicking Her Heels 10/16/2020 Pause for Tales 10/16/2020 Simply Susan 10/16/2020 Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy 10/16/2020 SK Bell 10/17/2020 Veronica’s ‘Views 10/18/2020 Moments 10/19/2020 Writing to Inspire 10/19/2020 I am believing God 10/20/2020 Living Outside the Lines 10/20/2020 Magical Wonder of Books 10/20/2020 Older & Smarter? 10/21/2020 The Librarian’s Bookshelf 10/21/2020 Genesis 5020 10/22/2020 Inspiration Clothesline 10/22/2020 Cafe Lily Book Reviews 10/24/2020 Christian Chick’s Thoughts 10/24/2020 Reviews by Leslie 10/24/2020 Southern & Style 10/24/2020 Peaceful Pastime 10/25/2020 A Room Without Books is Empty 10/26/2020 abookandalattee 10/26/2020 Chat With Vera 10/26/2020 Christian Bookshelf Reviews 10/26/2020 Debs book review 10/26/2020 God’s Peculiar Treasure Rae 10/26/2020 Jamie Ann Bartlett – Author 10/26/2020 Beck To Basics 10/27/2020 Captive Dreams Window 10/27/2020 Positive Grace 10/27/2020 Spoken from the Heart 10/27/2020 Two Points of Interest 10/27/2020
