No More Words

 

By Kerry Lonsdale

 

Release Date: July 6, 2021

 

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

 

 

Synopsis

 

Forced to choose between abortion or adoption, Olivia Carson’s younger sister, Lily, runs away from home. Sixteen and pregnant, she never returns. But she writes. Once a year, Lily mails a picture of her son, Josh, to Olivia until his thirteenth year. Then it’s Josh himself who arrives at Olivia’s house, alone, terrified, and in possession of a notarized declaration from Lily. It begins, “In the event I go missing…”

Josh has difficulty talking. He can’t read or write, but he’s a prolific artist, exhibiting skill beyond his age. His drawings are as detailed as they are horrific. Olivia soon realizes Josh’s artwork tells a story. There’s more to his arrival and to Lily’s untimely disappearance than it seems. Using the drawings as a road map, Olivia traces Josh’s path back to his mom. Each drawing sheds light on Lily’s past and reveals a darkness that forces Olivia to question everything she thought she knew about her family.

 

 

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Inspiration for No More Words with Kerry Lonsdale

 

One summer night years ago I awoke at 2:00 am to glass shattering followed by the horrible sound of metal on metal. The acrid scent of burnt rubber reached me through the opened window I’d gotten up from bed to look out. Parked across the street was my neighbor’s ex-husband’s truck, the side door and panels looking more worse-for-wear than they had when I’d gone to bed. The sudden squeal of tires drew my attention to my next-door neighbor’s driveway where I watched in stunned horror as a green sedan shot across the street and t-boned the truck. The sedan backed up and rammed the truck again. Then again and again until the sedan’s front end crumpled, the bumper scraping the asphalt, the windshield cracking.

My neighbor’s ex-husband charged from the house in boxer shorts and a sleeveless undershirt hollering at the woman behind the wheel to stop. She didn’t, not until she’d pushed his truck up the sidewalk and onto the front lawn. Not until both vehicles were totaled. Not until the police arrived and convinced her to stop. And not until her face was so bloodied from hitting the steering wheel with each impact that she could no longer see. This was before airbags, and her eyes had swollen shut. An ambulance took her away from the scene.

Over the next few days, I learned that the woman behind the wheel was his girlfriend, and she wasn’t the least bit happy he was spending the night at his ex-wife’s house. She’d driven four hours, arriving in the dead of night, to show my neighbor’s ex-husband exactly how unhappy she was. She was also intoxicated. But the real tragedy was his daughter. He’d spent the night at his ex-wife’s house (on her couch) because he’d come to celebrate her eighth-grade graduation. And after the police left and ambulance drove off, I saw her standing on the porch dressed in pajamas, clutching her favorite stuffed animal. She’d witnessed the entire debacle.

I’ve often thought about her, the daughter, that is, wondering how that traumatic event affected her in the long run. There were others too. I wondered how they changed her relationship with her father. Did she pick up his habits as she aged, his boozing and gambling? Did she ever have a chance at a normal life, or did her childhood doom her to live with secrets and pain?

At the heart of the No More series I explore intergenerational trauma through the Carsons, the family featured in the series, and try to answer that exact question: Does a parent’s dysfunction prevent the younger generation from having a normal life, or have circumstances fated them to live with their trauma? From summers of neglect, lies and betrayal, teenage pregnancy, and serving time in juvenile hall, the Carson siblings have their share of baggage, thanks to parents who aren’t ideal. Dwight and Charlotte Carson’s parenting style leaves something to be desired, and of course, their actions lead to the tragic event at the center of the series that splits apart the Carson siblings.

I believe we experience and understand the world through our parents. We mimic their behaviors and habits. And in cases where abuse and neglect are involved, we forge coping mechanisms that aren’t necessarily ideal or healthy. We see this happen with Olivia, the protagonist in No More Words, and the oldest Carson sibling. She is in denial that she and her brother Lucas were treated differently by their parents than their younger sister Lily, who the parents often emotionally abused and neglected. Haunted by her past, betrayed several times over, Olivia has closed off her heart. Her trauma dictates her behavior and actions.

But despite this, I also believe that even though our past experiences can leave us fractured and flawed, we can rise above it, control it rather than letting our past control us. Through therapy, love, and acknowledgement, we can stop the cycle of intergenerational trauma. And we see this happen as Olivia works through her issues, taking ownership of the role she played in her family’s dysfunction and the disappearance of her younger sister Lily who she hasn’t seen since she ran away from home, sixteen and pregnant.

This makes me believe that the thirteen-year-old girl on the porch all those years ago has been living a rich, normal life that isn’t ruled by her childhood.

 

No More Words Excerpt

 

She glances back at Josh. He’s halfway down the hall looking at the framed photos on the wall. He makes a noise.

“What is it?” she asks, miffed. She thought he was right behind her.

He points at a photo and tries to speak, but the words stick to his tongue like wet sand on a damp bathing suit. He punches the air and roughly points at the photo, begging her to understand. Olivia motions with her hands for him to be quiet, glances back at her parents’ bedroom door, and makes her way over to him and studies the family portrait that has his attention. The photo was taken Olivia’s senior year in high school during Dwight’s third and last campaign. She was seventeen, Lucas fifteen, and Lily twelve-and-a-half. Big brown eyes fill Lily’s face. Braces hug her teeth. A flat chest doesn’t deter from her budding beauty.

Josh squeezes his eyes shut and bangs his head with his fists. He’s literally trying to beat the words out.

Familiar with his signs of distress, Olivia gently touches his shoulder. “Look at me. Josh, hey,” she says, urging him to come with her outside before Charlotte hears them. The fresh air and openness will calm him down. They can return later.

His eyes snap open and he makes a grab for the photo. “Shh. Don’t do that,” Olivia loudly whispers. She slaps a hand to the frame so the photo remains mounted. “Take a breath, Josh. Relax and talk your way through this. What’s wrong with this picture? Are you looking for your mom? She’s right here, see?” She prompts him like she’d read about for people with aphasia. Spell out the words. Give them the chance to speak.

His face reddens and a word pops from his mouth like a truck backfiring. “Bad.”

“The photo or the people in it?” Olivia’s gaze rakes over the family portrait. Charlotte had wanted a magazine spread when SLO Life featured her as a top real estate broker in the county. California Living used the same photo when the publication featured a sneak peek inside their custom-built home during Dwight’s campaign. Taken in the backyard, Dwight and Lucas wore tuxedos. They looked dashing in black with their silk ties. Charlotte, along with Olivia and Lily, wore champagne gowns with all the sparkle and glitz found at an Oscars after-party. Their dresses shimmered in the golden hour sunlight. Wind cut across the yard at the perfect moment, ruffling Lucas’s hair and lifting her cinnamon locks and Lily’s long auburn tresses off their shoulders the moment the photographer snapped the shot. A glamorous pose that rivaled that of any family of status. The photographer won a coveted award for the photo. Dwight posted the image on the About Us page of his corporate website. The photo, along with the accompanying articles, cemented the Carsons as a family to watch, much to Charlotte’s delight. How I wish my daddy could see me now, Olivia recalls her mom remarking on more than one occasion about the grandfather Olivia had never met.

If people could see them now.

What a mess the Carsons have become.

“Bad.” Josh jabs at the glass. The photo swings on its hook.

“Careful.” Olivia fixes the frame. There’s a larger version of this photo above the living room fireplace, but Charlotte will still have a conniption if anything happens to this one. It’s her favorite of all the portraits in the hallway.

“Bad.” Josh knocks her shoulder, pushing her back.

“Hey.” She stumbles against the wall.

“Bad. Bad.” He yanks the photo off the wall, ripping out the nail along with. Drywall dust sprinkles to the floor like snow.

Charlotte comes out of her room, tucking a pale-blue blouse into cream slacks, her makeup partially applied. Only one cheek has been rouged. Her lips are unadorned, making the color above her eyes stand out. She looks waifish, like a model in a designer label ad. “What’s going on?” She stops when she sees Josh. “Why’s he here?”

“Bad,” he yells, showing Charlotte the photo.

“Put that down,” Charlotte roars, her face deathly pale.

Her reaction sends a ripple of fear through Olivia. Where’s this coming from?

Olivia grips Josh’s arm. “We need to go.”

He shakes her off. “Bad. M-m-man!” He spits the word. Rage fills his eyes. Something else churns there, too.

Heart pulsating in her throat, Olivia looks at the photo. There’s only one man in the picture because Lucas is just a kid, not much older than Josh: her dad.

 

Review

 

This is a story of a dysfunctional family with secrets and lies and while you might be able to figure out some of it, the rest will come as a surprise.

The story centers around Olivia Carson and her siblings, Lucas and Lily. We meet her parents, Dwight and Charlotte, and the life that they are trying to portray to outsiders. It is a case of living larger than their income. The only solace for the children is being able to visit the Whitman family during the summer at their lake cabin. This is where Olivia and Blaze really fall for each other as teenagers but because of some events during Olivia’s childhood, she has a hard time trusting anyone. This fear torpedoes all of her relationships until the present day. Life is going along until all of a sudden a new arrival appears on Olivia’s doorstep, her nephew Josh who she has only seen in photos for the last 12 years. Due to an accident, Josh has a hard time speaking and expressing his thoughts and sharing what happened to his mother, Lily. From there it is a search into the past to uncover where Lily is and what happened to her.

This book totally sucked me in and since it is a trilogy, I can only assume that the other two books are about Lucas and Lily. There are many secrets that so many people are keeping from each other and as each is uncovered, it might change how you think about the various characters. Dwight, the father, is a scumbag and treats his children all differently. While I suspected why on one front it wasn’t confirmed until near the end. Charlotte, the mother, is a basket case and I honestly don’t know why the two of them ever became parents. Neither of them acts as if they like their children other than Dwight and Olivia’s relationship. However, as you delve deeper into the book you might wonder why they have that sort of relationship.

I liked that while there could have been a cliffhanger or two at the end of the novel, the author does wrap up the few dangling pieces which makes sense if the other books are about the siblings and what has happened in their life. There are some interesting twists with Lily’s life and I am curious to learn more about how she handled having a child and raising him on her own at the age of 16.

We give this book 5 paws up and can’t wait for the next two installments to see how this whole story plays out for the Carson family.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Kerry Lonsdale is the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and Amazon Charts bestselling author of Side Trip, Last Summer, All the Breaking Waves, and the Everything Series (Everything We Keep, Everything We Left Behind, and Everything We Give). Her work has been translated into more than twenty-seven languages. She resides in Northern California with her husband and two children. You can visit Kerry at www.kerrylonsdale.com.

 

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THE NATURE OF SMALL BIRDS

 

BY SUSIE FINKBEINER

 

 

Publisher: Revell

Pub Date: July 6, 2021

Pages: 368 pages

Categories: Fiction / Christian / General

 

 

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In 1975, three thousand children were airlifted out of Saigon to be adopted into Western homes. When Mindy, one of those children, announces her plans to return to Vietnam to find her birth mother, her loving adopted family is suddenly thrown back to the events surrounding her unconventional arrival in their lives.

 

Though her father supports Mindy’s desire to meet her family of origin, he struggles privately with an unsettling fear that he’ll lose the daughter he’s poured his heart into. Mindy’s mother undergoes the emotional rollercoaster inherent in the adoption of a child from a war-torn country, discovering the joy hidden amid the difficulties. And Mindy’s sister helps her sort through relics that whisper of the effect the trauma of war has had on their family–but also speak of the beauty of overcoming.

Told through three strong voices in three compelling timelines, The Nature of Small Birds is a hopeful story that explores the meaning of family far beyond genetic code.

 

“Susie Finkbeiner has such an inviting and distinctive voice as a writer that you’ll gladly follow it–and follow her–to any setting.”–Valerie Fraser Luesse, Christy Award-winning author of Under the Bayou Moon

 

 

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Excerpt from Chapter One of

 

The Nature of Small Birds

 

By Susie Finkbeiner

 

 

Bruce, 2013

 

No matter how the world has changed over the course of my life, somehow crayons still smell the way they did when I was a kid. A fresh pack of Crayolas sits open on the kitchen table, and I roll the one called “Macaroni and Cheese” between thumb and finger.

My youngest granddaughter sits next to me at the table, coloring heart shapes and smiley faces all over her piece of printer paper. We’re busy making cards for her great-grammy—my mother—whose birthday is over the weekend. So far Evie’s got more wax on the page than I do.

“How old is Great-Grammy gonna be?” Evie asks, switching to a light shade of brown.

“Eighty-five,” I say.

She looks up from her coloring to give me a drop-jawed look. “That’s really old.”

“Well, let’s not say that to her, all right?” I give her a wink.

Evie gives me a thumbs-up before going back to her work.

Boy, do I love spending time with this girl.

“You’re doing a good job,” I say, tilting my head to look at her picture.

“Thanks,” she says. “Do you think Great-Grammy will like it?”

“Of course she will.”

A gust comes in through the open window, making the corner of Evie’s paper flicker just a little bit. Outside, the tops of the trees sway and the leaves that have already fallen to the ground ride the wind across the yard.

Man, do I love fall in Michigan.

I fit my crayon back in its place between the deep orange and goldenrod yellow. “You know what. I’m getting thirsty.”

“Me too,” she says, letting her shoulders slump as if she’s been laboring over that card all day.

“How about I make us some hot cocoa?” I narrow my eyes at her. “Would that be all right with you?”

That gets her to perk up right away, and she tells me, “Yes, please.”

As soon as the weather drops below sixty degrees, Linda makes sure we’re well stocked with the fixings for hot cocoa. The mix, marshmallows, the works. Our oldest, Sonny, likes to point out that it wasn’t this way when she was a little girl. I like to remind her that we weren’t grandparents then.

I hardly get the cupboard open to pick two mugs before I hear a thunk on the window. A quick look and I see a little sparrow, unmoving, on the grass, wings splayed on either side. Its head is turned at a funny angle.

“What was that?” Evie asks, eyebrows scrunched together.

“You stay right there,” I say by way of answering. “I’ll go check it out.”

I rush to the family room and push open the sliding door, stepping out onto the patio.

The late morning has a hint of chill to it as if to remind me that winter isn’t as far away as I might like to think. I wish I’d slipped on a pair of shoes. Socked feet aren’t always the surest, especially on leaf-covered grass. Last thing I need is to fall, especially while I’m supposed to be taking care of Evie. At my age—sixty-ahem years old—it’s not so easy to recover from a tumble.

Trying my best not to startle the bird—a house sparrow—I lower myself, pressing one knee into the ground, hoping to see a sign of life.

“Grandpa?” Evie’s on the other side of the window, fingers curled and pressed against her cheeks. “Is it dead?”

“I don’t think so, honey,” I say, smiling at her. “How about you see if Grandma has a dry washcloth in the drawer. All right?”

She nods, but the look in her eyes says she’s feeling more than a little bit worried. By the time she comes out, cloth in hand, the sparrow’s managed to get herself sitting up.

“She’ll be fine in a few minutes,” I say, as calm and gentle as I can.

I use the washcloth to pick up the sparrow. She rests in my cupped hands, and I resist the temptation to run the tip of a finger over her feathers. They look like they’d be soft to the touch.

But birds like this one are wild, not meant for the affections of humans. Instead, I just watch her, hoping she recovers from the shock she’s had this morning.

“‘There is a special providence in the fall of a sparrow,’” I whisper after a minute.

“What’s that mean?” she asks.

“Well, it’s from a play called Hamlet,” I say, noticing how the sparrow blinks at the sound of my voice. “It just means that God sees everything and cares, even if it’s just a little critter smacking into a window.”

Evie doesn’t take her eyes off the bird and doesn’t give me any indication that she understands. That’s all right. Sometimes I have a tough time comprehending it too.

The sparrow gives a little tremble, and I make a shushing sound like the one I always made when comforting one of my girls when they fell off their bikes or stubbed a toe.

“That’s it,” I say when she tries her wings, stretching them with a little twitch. Keeping them spread, she gives a tiny, tentative hop.

Then a second hop with a bit more certainty.

“Can we keep her?” Evie asks, putting a hand on my shoulder.

“I’m afraid not, honey.” I shake my head. “She wouldn’t like being a pet, I don’t think. She needs to be free.”

I flatten my hands, hoping to give the sparrow a better surface to take off from. She’s hardly an ounce; I barely notice the weight of her at all. But when she pushes off to fly, saying goodbye with a little trill, I miss how she felt in my hands.

We watch her go, Evie and me, until we lose her in the branches of the ancient sycamore at the far end of the yard.

My sweet girl lowers her head to my shoulder, and her sniffles let me know that she’s crying. Well, I feel like crying too, just for a different reason.

“I wanted to keep her,” she says.

“I kind of did too,” I say. “But it wouldn’t have been good for her.”

“Will we ever see her again?”

“We might.” I put my arm around her and kiss the top of her head.

I look back toward the spot where I last saw that bird, not saying that house sparrows are a dime a dozen, if that.

Still, it’s something to see them fly.

 

 

 

Click here to read all of CHAPTER ONE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Susie Finkbeiner is the CBA bestselling author of All Manner of Things, which was selected as a 2020 Michigan Notable Book, and Stories That Bind Us, as well as A Cup of Dust, A Trail of Crumbs, and A Song of Home. She serves on the Fiction Readers Summit planning committee, volunteers her time at Ada Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and speaks at retreats and women’s events across the country. Susie and her husband have three children and live in West Michigan.

 

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GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

 

ONE WINNER: 

 

Copy of The Nature of Small Birds

 

+ Puzzle + $10 Starbucks Gift Card.

 

(Giveaway ends midnight, CDT, July 24, 2021; US only.)

 

 

 

 

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Visit the Lone Star Literary Life Tour Page

for direct links to each post on the tour, updated daily, or visit the blogs directly:

 

7/13/21	Author Video	All the Ups and Downs
7/13/21	BONUS Promo	Hall Ways Blog
7/14/21	Excerpt	StoreyBook Reviews
7/14/21	BONUS Promo	LSBBT Blog
7/15/21	Review	Julia Picks 1
7/16/21	Review	Missus Gonzo
7/17/21	Top Ten	The Adventures of a Travelers Wife
7/18/21	Video Guest Post	Stories Under Starlight
7/19/21	Review	Jennie Reads
7/20/21	Playlist	Chapter Break Book Blog
7/21/21	Review	Reading by Moonlight
7/22/21	Review	Book Fidelity

 

 

 

 

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The Only Way Home by Jeanette Minniti

Category: Adult Fiction (18 +) , 242 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction, Adventure, Coming of Age

Publisher: Penning Press

Release date: 4/1/2021

 

Synopsis

 

Desperate times. Danger on the rails. A journey to save a family.

It is 1933 inside a sweltering courtroom in Macon, Georgia. Fifteen-year-old Robert sits on a bench awaiting sentencing after being picked up for vagrancy and spending a night in jail. He left his home in Illinois with a neighborhood friend to ride the rails and find work to help their families. The friend turned back, too afraid to face the perils ahead. But going back empty-handed isn’t an option for Robert.

THE ONLY WAY HOME is the story of one boy’s determination to survive loss and hardship to help his family — and how fate and a violin touch the course of his life.

Fans of Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens and Sold On a Monday by Kristina Morris will love this story set during the Great Depression of a fatherless boy fighting to keep his family together.​

 

 

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Review

 

This coming-of-age story set during the depression will give readers a new perspective on what life might have been like but through the eyes of a young man.

Robert has left home to try and find work to help support this family. His father has passed and there just isn’t enough money coming in due to the depression. Robert isn’t really meant for the life of someone that catches freight trains from town to town looking for work, especially since he is only 15 and people are giving jobs to the men with families. Robert has gumption and doesn’t give up. He meets a few people along the way and even though he knows he shouldn’t befriend anyone, he meets Tucker and they form a kinship and help each other out along the way.

This was such an amazing story of Robert’s experiences during the depression. There is so much that he wants to do to help his family, but at 15 it is hard. He does find some kind souls along the way but it isn’t enough to keep him from realizing that he needs to be back home with his mother and siblings. The journey he takes could be an adventure if it wasn’t such a hard time to be alive looking for work. I have always heard about those that would ride on empty boxcars on freight trains but reading how they have to catch the train and the possibilities for dying bring reality into the picture. This was not an easy life for anyone during the depression.

I admired Robert and his determination and loyalty to those around him. This can be seen with Tucker in many instances. I won’t spoil what they are, but Robert shows what true friendship is really about.

We give this book 5 paws up and suggest it if you are in the mood for historical fiction from a young man’s point of view.

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

As a member of the American Association of University Women, she coordinates the Foreign Policy Association’s Great Decisions discussion group and participates in several AAUW interest groups.

Jeanette and her husband enjoy all that Colorado renders in outdoor activities including hiking and biking.

​​
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Giveaway

 

Enter to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card courtesy of Jeanette Minniti book series! (two winners)

(ends July 26)

 

THE ONLY WAY HOME Book Tour Giveaway

 

 

 

Check out this NEW romantic comedy coming soon to theaters near you!  It is from the creators of Once I Was a Beehive, called ONCE I WAS ENGAGED! When Bree Carrington gets engaged while at BYU Hawaii, her loving but over-the-top mom goes all out to create the wedding of the century. But both mother and daughter must overcome the pressure of perfection when this happily ever after story doesn’t go quite as expected.

 

 

 

 

Press Release

 

Advance tickets are now on sale for ONCE I WAS ENGAGED – the eagerly awaited sequel to the award-winning, smash-hit ONCE I WAS A BEEHIVE – the film opens exclusively in Utah theatres on Friday, July 21 before expanding to Arizona, Idaho, and Nevada on August 6 and nationally on August 13. Written and directed by Maclain Nelson, ONCE I WAS ENGAGED brings back all the original film’s favorite cast of characters, including Bree (Clare Niederpruem), Holly (Hailey Smith), Lane (Paris Warner), and of course, Carrie Carrington (Lisa Valentine Clark). And this film introduces a couple of key new characters, including Curt Carrington; Carrie’s husband and Bree’s father, played by High School Musical’s Bart Johnson; and Thys Chesterfield, played by Studio C’s Tanner Gillman.

“Fans have been screaming for a sequel ever since we released the first film,” exclaimed Nelson. “And we are beyond excited for everyone to get back to the movie theatre and experience the next chapter in the lives of their favorite campers.”

The story takes place about two years after ONCE I WAS A BEEHIVE. The young women and their leaders have grown up (some more than others), and Bree’s surprise engagement and the whirlwind of wedding planning brings them all back together – with hilarious and touching results.

“This movie is the warmest and funniest thing you’ll see this year,” quipped Lisa Valentine Clark. “Not to mention audiences get to see some men in the mix this time. We added the one-and-only Bart Johnson and the charming and hilarious Tanner Gillman. I’m not going to say they steal the show, but I’m not going to not say that either. You’ll just have to come see for yourself.”

Even though the story is a sequel to the first film, audiences will also get to see the original girls as their much younger selves for the first time. “I won’t give away too much, but old and new fans alike get to learn so much more history of the girls,” explained Clare Niederpruem, who plays Bree. “Audiences will absolutely adore them, and who knows, maybe there’s a prequel story to BEEHIVE that needs to be told.”

In the years since ONCE I WAS A BEEHIVE was released, many cast members have been busy in the entertainment industry, especially Clare Niederpruem. ENGAGED signals her first return to being in front of the camera in quite a few years. “We’re so excited to celebrate at the premiere and mingle with the fans. We want this to be the party of the summer,” said Niederpruem who has become a sought-after director for feature films, TV movies and TV series, including an adaptation of LITTLE WOMEN and multiple TV movies for the Hallmark Channel.

 

 

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The Mountain View Murder (A Wintergreen Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher: Chaparral Press LLC
Paperback: 270 pages

 

Synopsis

 

Guess who cried at Lou Thorpe’s funeral?

 

No one. His wife, grown children, and best friends all attended the service, but no one shed a single tear. Poor Lou. He was out for his morning walk when a crazed driver knocked him out of life. Crazed? With no car, no driver, and no witnesses, it’s difficult to say. Was it an accident or intentional?

Until that morning, Bill O’Shea was living the dream. After a career of fighting crime in the big city, Bill bought a condo in the beautiful mountain resort community of Wintergreen, Virginia. When he met his attractive new neighbor, Bill knew his retirement was off to a great start. But then the short-staffed police department asked Bill to help them investigate Thorpe’s death.

Soon, Bill fell into an old routine. Interviewing suspects. Checking alibis. Everyone had a secret to hide, but Bill lacked evidence to tie any of the suspects to the crime. He was missing something–like he had an itch he couldn’t reach to scratch.

Will Bill and his new friends solve the case, or will the murder of Lou Thorpe remain a mystery forever?

If you love beautiful mountain settings, a charming cast, and intriguing plot twists, you’re going to love this new series!

Clean read: no graphic violence, sex, or strong language.

 

 

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Review

 

This was a fun new series that has an endearing protagonist, beautiful scenery, and murder.

I loved all of the descriptions of the town and mountains and especially the trail that one might traverse as a rite of passage or to say that they hiked the whole Appalachian Trail.

Bill O’Shea may be a retired detective but he hasn’t given up on life or his quest to uncover a killer, even as a volunteer to the police department. Bill brings together a cast of characters in solving the crime of who killed Lou Thorpe. There are many suspects but only one murderer that is hiding in plain sight. I have to admit I never suspected this character and there are not many clues that will give away the mystery. I will say that Lou is not a nice guy so it maybe isn’t really a loss for the town that he is now gone.  There was quite a bit of backstory to uncover and Bill is able to piece together the clues and uncover the murderer. The confrontation with the murderer was rather odd and I’m not quite sure why it happened the way that it did other than that since Bill is not officially on the police force he didn’t have the authority to arrest this person? But Mitch was there and ready to take this character down. It was a rather odd ending but it worked.

There is a bit of romance for Bill with a woman that lives in his condo complex, Cindy. I have mixed feelings about this character. She seems good for Bill, but at the same time, she pulls a “scorned woman” act that makes no sense. This is where I wanted to reach into the book and throttle her for not addressing her feelings with Bill. They aren’t young and you would think that they wouldn’t have time for this sort of behavior. I know Bill has no clue what is going on because she won’t speak to him. It is rather childish.

I did like all of the characters and how nothing was ever 100% truthful or accurate. It was the omission of details that kept the police and Bill guessing.

Overall we give this book 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Pat Kelly was raised in the idyllic suburb of Yorktown, Virginia, where children ran barefoot through the grass and fished in the York River. After graduating from UVA, he left the state to pursue a career in finance. He settled in Texas, married a wonderful woman (Susie), and together they raised two daughters in Austin.

With the girls now grown and gone, Pat has pursued a lifelong love of writing stories. Countless hours at the keyboard have produced the Joe Robbins Thriller Series, two book awards, and four standalone novels.

A few years ago, Pat and Susie bought a summer home in the bucolic mountaintop resort of Wintergreen, Virginia. The beautiful vistas there inspired Pat to write a cozy mystery series featuring the reluctant detective Bill O’Shea. Join Pat’s newsletter to follow Bill’s adventures as he dodges irrepressible bears, pursues romance, and solves mysteries.

 

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The Mixtape

by Brittainy Cherry

Release Date: July 1, 2021

Publisher: Montlake

 

Synopsis

 

Emery has never felt more alone. Raising her daughter is both her pleasure and her pain as she struggles to hold on to her job as a bartender and keep a roof over their heads. With no one to help them—no support system—any unexpected expense or late bill could turn their whole world upside down.

Reeling from the death of his twin brother and bandmate, rock star Oliver Smith is trying to drink his problems away. Apparently, he isn’t very good at it; they follow him wherever he goes. Also in hot pursuit are the paparazzi, who catch Oliver at his lowest low.

He could have walked into any bar in California, but he walked into hers. Emery helps Oliver lose the crowd, and they find themselves alone: two people whose paths are marked with loss and pain. However, they hold an unshakable hope for healing. They find solace together, but can their love withstand the world?

 

 

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Author Brittainy Cherry Writes Her Own Mixtape

 

Hi, Everyone! I’m Brittainy Cherry, author of The Mixtape, a contemporary romance novel. I am so excited to share Oliver and Emery’s story with you all. These two characters are both struggling through life in their own ways, and it is through music and love that they find their way back to themselves and each other.

The Mixtape could’ve never come together without my own mixtape of sorts to help guide the way to this novel. Music not only plays a huge role in the story, but also in my personal life, so of course I had to whip up my own mixtape as I wrote this story. For example, my playlist began with “Godspeed” by the extremely talented James Blake that set the mood of the story. His tones and lyrics wrapped me up into a warm hug and I allowed the song to move me as I crafted Oliver’s character.

Then, we moved into “Soldiers” by Rachel Platten which is a powerful song about taking moments to breathe in order to move forward for another day, like soldiers in the night. It’s a song that showcases the strength of our heroine, Emery, who is a single mother, trying her best to create a better life for her young daughter.

I had the best time tying in songs like “Slow Dance” by AJ Mitchell (feat. Ava Max) to show the slow burn between Emery and Oliver falling together, followed by their first kiss being written to the song, “Can I Kiss You?” by Dahl.

The whole story was wrapped up with a classic, “Could It Be I’m Falling In Love” by the Spinners, which sums up what I hope you experience reading this novel: a mixtape of emotions which lead to you falling in love with the love story of Emery and Oliver. I hope this novel heals you the same way music soothes my soul.

 

The Mixtape Excerpt

 

Sometimes the world didn’t make sense. No parent should’ve ever had to bury their own child. I couldn’t even imagine that kind of pain that raced through her heartbeats on a daily basis. If I could offer up only one set of prayers for the remainder of my life, it would be for the parents who had to say goodbye too early on to their own.

Those hearts would always beat a little slower in my mind.

“I’m so sorry, Michelle.”

“Thank you, sweetheart.” She reached out and patted my hand, and I knew it was because she needed a hand to hold. So, I wrapped both of mine around hers. “The mourning doesn’t get easier. It just get quieter. Some days, I still cannot get out of bed, but I’m blessed. Because Richard stays in bed with me and my quietness. Then, when it’s time for me to get up, he pulls me to my feet, and we dance. A piece of advice—find yourself a man who would dance with you even when your heart is broken.” Her eyes flashed with tears and she held my hands tighter. “You want to know a secret?”

“Yes.”

“I thought I was going to lose Oliver, too. He kept everyone so far away. So, when I flew out here, I prepared myself for the worst. I thought he’d be in a drunken slumber or, worse…so much worse. Last time I came a few weeks ago, he wasn’t doing too well. But this time? This time I came back and he’s smiling.”

“That’s so good.”

She smiled brightly up at me as tears freely danced down her cheekbones. “So thank you.”

“I didn’t do anything,” I swore.

“You’re the only difference in his life since I came back. Plus, there’s the way he looks at you when you’re not looking. Now, sweetheart, I don’t know what you did, but I’m almost positive that you helped bring my son back to life after he was holding death’s hand. Call it my mother’s intuition. So, thank you for helping him. Even if it’s just by being his friend.”

Now I was tearing up, and I pulled her into a tight hug. “You’re an amazing mother,” I whispered, and she began to cry harder.

“You have no clue how hard it is to believe that each day.”

I think all mothers thought that. The ones who doubted her mothering skills, were sometimes the ones who were trying their best day in and day out. I didn’t expect the conversation with Michelle to go the direction that it had, but I was glad it had taken that path, because it was clear we both had some healing corners of our heart that had to be touched that evening.

“Oh, don’t tell me you two are wine drunk and emotion,” Richard cut in, walking in our direction. “We were just picking out a song for two seconds and we turn around to find you both moping.”

“Oh hush, Richard. Can’t us girls have a moment every now and again?” Michelle remarked, standing to her feet.

“Yes, but for now, we dance to The Spinners, my lady.” Richard reached out for his wife and took her into his arms as they began swaying to the song, Could It Be I’m Falling In Love. Richard serenaded Michelle as she smiled and melted into him like a perfectly fit puzzle piece.

Oliver came to stand beside me as we both watched his parents fall more and more in love with one another.

“This was their wedding song,” Oliver mentioned. “Dad recorded it, and they danced to it for their first dance.”

“Oh my gosh, how sweet is that,” I swooned. True romance.

“They dance to it every single night. On the good days and bad days. Especially on the bad days.”

“They’re what I want my love to look like,” I confessed. Oliver gave me a tight smile but didn’t say anything. I shifted around for a minute before looking toward him once more. “Do you want to dance with me?”

 

 

About the Author

 

Brittainy Cherry has been in love with words since she took her first breath. She graduated from Carroll University with a bachelor’s degree in theater arts and a minor in creative writing. She loves to take part in writing screenplays, acting, and dancing—poorly, of course. Coffee, chai tea, and wine are three things that she thinks every person should partake in. Cherry lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with her family. When she’s not running a million errands and crafting stories, she’s probably playing with her adorable pets.

 

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INCLINED ELDERS

 

BY RAMONA OLIVER

 

 

Publisher: BookBaby

Publication Date: July 24, 2020

Pages: 246 Pages

Categories: Nonfiction / Positive Aging

 

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THIS BOOK WILL BE INVALUABLE IF YOU:

 

• Have a desire to continue living a purposeful life, no matter what your age.
• Are interested in learning how to maintain a positive attitude from adulthood to elderhood.
• Want to learn how to create a living legacy and serve as a role model for future generations.

 

WHY EMBRACE AN ATTITUDE OF INCLINE?

 

For the first time in history we are not only living longer, everyone has an important choice to make: commit to a meaningful, purposeful life of “Incline” as we get older or believe that a new stage – one of steady “decline” – is inevitable. What is not helping is that in the media and society in general there continues the somewhat negative connotation surrounding the concept of aging. And while, at least not now, we cannot do anything about the chronological process of becoming 60, 70, 80 years and beyond, we can change the mindset for it. Embracing change and looking at life with a keener sense of curiosity will lead to living with increased courage to live life to its fullest.

Inclined Elders is a call to action for you to opt for Incline. Not only for your personal fulfillment, but also to help fuel a social “legacy” that increases the number of positive older role models in everyday life. I have written this book to inspire, inform, and challenge you. By the time you reach the last page, I hope you will have made a new choice: to become an inspiring example of a life of Incline so our society relinquishes – once and for all – the notion that aging is synonymous with “decline,” “decrepit,” “senile,” and “over-the-hill.”

In this book, over 50 men and women ranging in age from 40 to 100 share their tips and techniques on how to live a life of Incline. Their strategies are supported by scientific evidence from the fields of Positive Psychology, Anthropology, and Sociology.

 

WHO ARE INCLINED ELDERS?

 

We are the women and men who have made a conscious choice to ignore society’s negative mindset of “decline” and “over-the-hill” as we age. Instead we embrace a positive mindset of continuing to Incline and climb ever upwards.

Serving as vibrant role models, the Inclined Elders I spoke to for this book are leaving their own unique legacies of wisdom and inspiration for future generations. There needs to be more of us like them to effect real social change. So why not Incline too? There’s an amazing view from up here. Come with us and see for yourself.

 

 

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As someone that is *cough* over 50 *cough* this book really appealed to me and the mindset we should ALL have no matter our age. I will admit that I do not feel my age, I honestly think I am 10-15 years younger. Is it denial or is it just an age I would prefer to be? No matter, the answer, this book guides us to rethink how we view and feel about aging. There is nothing that says as someone ages that they have to wait for death once they hit a certain age. There is so much more to life and there is so much wisdom from those that have experienced life and are willing to share it with everyone they meet.

There are different chapters that focus on different aspects we should consider in our life such as Choices, Courage, Curiosity, and Change. I enjoyed the stories told by various people and felt motivated and encouraged knowing that if they can take a step in their life to keep living on an incline versus a decline, then so can I. After all, aging is a mindset and a positive attitude will only assist anyone wishing to live their best life.

I’m sure we all know someone that has a negative outlook and doesn’t do anything to make their life better. I know several people in my family like this and there is nothing any one person can say or do to change their minds. It has to come from within. If you know someone like this and they are open to reading this book, it might change their life.

The personal reflections, stories of gratitude, perseverance, and those that make every day count is what will resonate with many readers. It reminds us to also reach out to those that need assistance and encourage them to continue down their path to a better life.

There is one story that I could relate to – Nancy who was diagnosed with cancer and she decided to just approach it head on as she did with everything else in her life. This sums up my experience with cancer in my 30’s. While I wasn’t happy with what was going on (who would be?!), I chose to do what needed to be done and when others might have spiraled out of control, I kept moving and working because the cancer was not going to beat me.

I also appreciated an anecdote from BJ and a comment her mother made as she lay dying in her bed. She told BJ to “not wait until the last twenty minutes of your life to realize what life is about and what your purpose is.” I think many of us don’t have a plan for our life. That is ok, but we also should not sit around waiting for it to come to us and we should seek out what we want from life and how we can contribute to make the world a better place, even in a small way.

I believe this book should be a must read for people of all ages, especially for those that might be lost in their lives and need a place to start and realize that they can make a difference for themselves and those around them. The resources at the end of the book will give you many places to start if you don’t know where to start your journey.

We give this book 5 paws up!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ramona Oliver has long been a passionate educator with former roles as a human resource manager/director, career coach, and director of outreach for St. Edward’s University. As a human resource director for many years, she championed the professional development of employees. While serving as president of the Austin Human Resource Management Association, she led a team that designed, developed, and implemented an award-wining leadership program. In addition, she launched a workforce readiness committee that partnered with community organizations to implement workforce readiness initiatives. At St. Edward’s University, she promoted lifelong learning and the adult undergraduate and graduate programs to older adults in the Austin community.

Ramona currently serves as an advocate of positive aging. Rather than accepting a mindset of decline, she is passionate about living life with an attitude of Incline. Ramona has been published on the Changing Aging website, offering posts with titles such as “Can We Please Stop Calling It Aging,” “What Are We Missing When We Settle for Life Stages?” and “Leave a Legacy and Live It Now!”

Ramona is a recipient of a Book Excellence Award for her current book, INCLINED ELDERS: How to rebrand aging for self and society. It has been recognized for high-quality writing style, book design, and overall marketing appeal.

She earned her Master of Business Administration from St. Edward’s University. Ramona lives in Austin, Texas where she enjoys practicing yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, and Nia and participating in various community groups.

 

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7/7/21	Notable Quotable	It’s Not All Gravy
7/7/21	Sneak Peek	The Page Unbound
7/8/21	Review	The Plain-Spoken Pen
7/8/21	BONUS Promo	LSBBT Blog
7/9/21	Author Interview	Chapter Break Book Blog
7/9/21	Review	Book Fidelity
7/10/21	Review	StoreyBook Reviews
7/11/21	Excerpt	All the Ups and Downs
7/12/21	Review	Jennie Reads
7/12/21	Character Interview	Librariel Book Adventures
7/13/21	Guest Post	Book Bustle
7/14/21	Review	Hall Ways Blog
7/14/21	Excerpt	That’s What She’s Reading
7/15/21	Scrapbook Page	The Adventures of a Travelers Wife
7/16/21	Review	Reading by Moonlight
7/16/21	Review	Forgotten Winds

 

 

 

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Synopsis

 

2020 Maxy Awards Finalist – SciFi/Fantasy

The contest between men and women escalates to a new battlefield—genetics. Legislators mandate a testosterone-lowering food supplement to reduce violence and make gun control unnecessary. The blowback assumes epic proportions. Nadia Holkam—a pawn in the battle—desperately seeks her true identity.

Diana Holkam discovers companies are using her twin sister as a template for the perfect subordinate female in an experiment aimed at turning all women into pets. With help from a one-eyed Muslim Bible salesman, an African American woman promoting a testosterone-reducing food supplement, and an Indian geneticist fleeing the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, they fight against a misogynistic CEO, a would-be prophet of male supremacy, and the mob. Neither side realizes the AI system developing the genetic “cure” has a different plan for human evolution—a plan that has something to do with fish.

 

 

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Review

 

Sci-Fi/fantasy books are not usually a genre I read, or at least not often. However, I was intrigued by the description of this book and decided to give it a whirl. What I found was a very bizarre book that featured gender wars, talking fish and multi-faceted characters.

There is a battle between the sexes and women currently hold the upper hand and food is doused with Testrial that seems to calm men down and they act more like servants than men. Not all men are like this, there are those that avoid any food that contains this ingredient and several are on course to create the “perfect” woman and return things to a time of the past where women were more like “pets” for the men. Obviously, most women (and some men) don’t want to see that happen. So a small band of protestors seeks to shut down Berky and Candor’s quest for this new lifestyle.

I found the characters to be quite interesting and the interactions between all kept the story flowing. There is some scientific discussion but nothing to drawn out to lose a reader. There is humor that I didn’t expect and was darker than you might expect. I was surprised by a few twists at the end regarding the twins, Nadia and Diana. There was also some graphic violence that was unexpected and it made me uncomfortable considering the level.

This book is definitely a journey for the reader and while sometimes it felt like I was trudging through, other sections were brilliant. Overall, we give this 3 1/2 paws.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

J.S. Morrison is the author of “The Perfection of Fish” (Speculative Fiction, Satire, Black Rose Writing, 2020). He was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1947, had a career in Air Force Intelligence (1970-1991), followed by a career in the Tech industry (1991-2016). He has lived in the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East, and visited Asia, Africa, South America, and Antarctica. He optioned two original screenplays before deciding to write a near-future satire on gender wars. He currently lives near Annapolis, MD, where he is working on his second speculative fiction novel. He is a member of the Maryland Writers’ Association, the Columbia Writers’ Group, the DC Speculative Fiction Group, and the Black Writers Collective. When he is not writing or traveling, he dabbles in astrophysics as a member of a local scientific society.

 

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Synopsis

 

A former gun for hire and a federal agent find themselves on the right side of love but the wrong end of a bullet in this Richter installment from New York Times bestselling author Catherine Bybee.

On a fateful night in Las Vegas, FBI agent Leo Grant is working on a critical detail in a high-profile child prostitution trial when a beautiful woman jumps into the path of a bullet meant for him. Little does Leo know that the woman is Olivia, an ex-assassin who is seeking redemption one good deed at a time.

One minute, Olivia is lunging in front of Leo on the Vegas Strip. The next, she’s waking up in the hospital in a haze of pain with no memory of her past, her enemies, or even her own name.

With Olivia suffering from memory loss and completely unaware of the danger she is in, it’s up to Leo and Neil MacBain’s team of operatives to keep her safe. With Olivia and Leo both unaware of her past crimes, the two have little reason to avoid their growing attraction. Slowly her past seeps in through the cracks as she struggles to find the answers of who she is. When the veil is lifted and her dark past is staring her down, Olivia must turn her back on Leo and the love she can never allow herself to have, and race to find her would-be killer.

 

 

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Excerpt

 

Inside the eye of a scope, there is a spot where two lines come together. If that scope is mounted on top of a high-powered rifle and is in the hands of someone who understands the mathematical calculation of how much the projectile will descend before it reaches its target, that spot becomes deadly.

Olivia noted three snipers positioned south, east, and west of the entrance to the courthouse. SWAT…all of them. While she had no doubt they’d do their job well if put to the task, the fact that none of them had noticed her pissed her off.

She positioned a camera behind her scope and snapped photos of the uniformed men.

Once she was satisfied with what she had, she wrapped up her location and moved to the next. It took ten minutes to change her appearance, and ten more to get in position.

The familiar thump of her heart pounded blood up to her brain. The first time she’d ever squeezed the trigger, she’d pictured a video of red blood cells pushing through veins. With each beat, her blood pushed forward and stopped as valves closed off behind them only to be pushed forward again with another beat of her heart.

After pulling the trigger…the imaginary blood in her mind manifested into real puddles on the pavement.

The images he’d put in her head were nothing next to the real thing.

Nothing had prepared her for what followed.

Not one of the classes she’d been forced to take at Richter equipped her for what she needed to survive.

And yet here she was.

Heart still beating.

Soul still bleeding.

 

 

About the Author

 

Catherine is a #1 Wall Street Journal, Amazon, and Indie Reader bestselling author. In addition, her books have also graced The New York Times and USA Today bestsellers lists. In total, she has written thirty-six beloved books that have collectively sold more than 8 million copies and have been translated into more than twenty languages.

Raised in Washington State, Bybee moved to Southern California in the hope of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full time and has penned The Not Quite series, The Weekday Brides series, The Most Likely To series, and The First Wives series.

 

 

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THE CHASE

 

U.S. Marshals Series, Book Two

 

By LISA HARRIS

 

 

Publisher: Revell

Publication Date: July 6th, 2021

Pages: 320 Pages

Categories: Fiction/ Christian/ Suspense

 

 

 

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US Marshal Madison James may not be sure who shot her three months ago, but she does know one thing–it’s time to get back out into the field. When her partner, Jonas Quinn, receives a message that a federal warrant just came in on a man connected to a string of bank robberies, Madison jumps at the chance to get back to work. What she and Jonas find is a bank robbery in progress that’s gone wrong–and things are about to get worse.

 

For these bank robbers, it’s never been just about the money. It’s about taking risks and adrenaline rushes — and getting caught is not part of the game. When the suspects escape, Madison and Jonas must hunt them down and bring them to justice before someone else–someone close to them–gets hurt . . . or worse.

 

From Seattle to the San Juan Islands, bestselling author Lisa Harris takes you on a nonstop chase where feelings are complicated, and failure isn’t an option.

 

 

 

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This action-packed novel kept me glued to my seat and took me for a ride!

Madison and Jonas are back in the second installment of the US Marshals series. I didn’t read the first book, and while I always recommend reading a series in order, you could read this as a stand-alone…but I think you might have better context for some of what Madison is dealing with if you read the first book.

There has been a series of bank robberies and Madison and Jonas have been provided with the identity of someone that might have been involved. What ensues is a chase (haha see what I did there?!) against the clock and the perpetrators to catch them before more people are harmed or they get away and are not brought to justice for their crimes.

I loved the fast pace of this novel taking me across Seattle and over to the San Juan Islands. I wasn’t sure what to expect next and enjoyed how the mystery unfolded. I was quite surprised by a few twists with the robbers and this author knows how to keep you on edge wondering what could possibly happen next.

There is a bit of romance between Madison and Jonas, or at least the possibility of trying a relationship to see if anything might come of it. I also appreciated the inspirational discussions and putting their faith in a higher power and letting things happen as they might. These discussions were also good for Jonas considering what happened with an old girlfriend and believing that all things happen for a reason. I think it also gave him some closure once he took some time to mentally process what happened.

There is also the case of who killed Madison’s husband? This has created a mental block for Madison but we see some glimpses of what might have happened but we will have to wait for the next book (or books) to learn the truth.

This is a series that I will be looking forward to and watching the relationship between Madison and Jonas expand and what case could come their way next. We give it 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lisa Harris is a USA Today bestselling author, a Christy Award winner, and the winner of the Best Inspirational Suspense Novel from Romantic Times for her novels Blood Covenant and Vendetta. The author of more than 40 books, including The Escape, The Traitor’s Pawn, Vanishing Point A Secret to Die For, and Deadly Intentions, as well as The Nikki Boyd Files and the Southern Crimes series, Harris and her family have spent over 17 years living as missionaries in southern Africa. She is currently stateside in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

 

 

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ONE WINNER receives the first two books in the US Marshals Series +
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Visit the Lone Star Literary Life Tour Page

 

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7/6/21	Excerpt	Hall Ways Blog
7/6/21	BONUS Promo	LSBBT Blog
7/7/21	Review	StoreyBook Reviews
7/8/21	Playlist	All the Ups and Downs
7/9/21	Review	Reading by Moonlight
7/10/21	Author Interview	The Page Unbound
7/11/21	Scrapbook Page	Forgotten Winds
7/12/21	Review	The Adventures of a Travelers Wife
7/13/21	Series Spotlight	Chapter Break Book Blog
7/14/21	Review	Julia Picks 1
7/15/21	Review	It’s Not All Gravy

 

 

 

 

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