Sins of Ommision by Ian Graham

This may be a short story, but it packs a powerful punch that leaves you breathless in anticipation of what is to come next. We are introduced to Declan McIver in a fast paced explosive read. Declan is asked or shall we say pushed strongly into a mission that will have him reunited with his ex -girlfriend. The mission is to travel to a small Caribbean island and stop a bombing on the Queen's birthday. Declan has been expertly trained to handle dangerous and under the radar missions. But what will happen when he meets up with his ex-girlfriend? 

The author's writing style flows with a precise direction. He gives readers a little history of the IRA and the Struggles time period in Northern Ireland in a brilliantly fluent knowledge that intrigues you. Declan is a man to be reckoned with as he heads full force into the dangers that he encounters. 

This is a story of high caliber writing with intense scenes that will play out with a volatile and energy filled excitement of intrigue at its best. The author has given us a character that we will want to follow with eagerness .

The Cactus Creek Challrnge by Erica Vetsch

I received a copy of this book for an honest review.

Every year the town has a month long contest where contestants change jobs . As the townspeople give contributions to their favorite contestant , the winner will be able to use it for their particular project . This year the council has decided to let women enter the contest. When the names are announced you could hear gasps, and grumbling from the crowd. Ben Wilder, the sheriff will now have to exchange jobs with Cassie Bucknell who is the schoolmarm. There are a few chuckles as the men in the town know that Cassie won't be able to be sheriff for a day , much less for a long month. What happens when there is trouble in the town? Cassie finds it quite funny that Ben, the big strapping no nonsense sheriff will be surrounded by children all day. How will he cope with teaching children of all ages in a small classroom?

Carl, who runs the livery stable is switching jobs with Jenny who runs the bakery in town. Carl is described as a burly sort of man, who works long hours that entails a lot of physical strength to keep the livery running smoothly. Jenny , on the other hand is a sweet lady who always dresses with impeccable taste and bakes delicious , mouthwatering treats for the town. Carl is concerned that Jenny will not be able to keep up with the demands of running the livery, while Jenny must be wondering if she will have a bakery to go back to , or will Carl burn it down in his attempt to bake.

The story is filled with many laughs and lots of unique and interesting characters. The twins that Ben encounters at the school are a mischievous pair who love to play pranks and liven up the classroom with their witty and uncanny personalities. As I read their shenanigans , I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes. Erica has given us a book filled with laughter, unforgettable characters and a story that is so engrossing, you lose track of time.

When a book has the ability to make you laugh out loud, find yourself cheering the characters on and hoping for the story to never end, you have a best seller. (  )

  

A Family Affair by Tim Yingling

Explosive Thriller

By Deana on July 7, 2015

Format: Kindle Edition

I was given a copy of this book for an honest review

Chase is working as a police officer and is married to Jess . They have two girls and seem to have a normal life. Jess never liked Chase being in the military and now that he is a cop she hates his job even more. It is never easy to be married to someone whose job it is to protect others.
There is a call about a break in at a house and Chase goes to investigate. As he is exploring the house, he finds a little girl huddled in the corner. Chase soon discovers that her parents and sister have been savagely murdered. The little girl tells Chase the brown man said to look at her and the rest of her family and he would know what the man wants.

This sets the stage for a fast paced run for your life action packed thriller. What many don't know about Chase is that he works for a special outfit with the U.S. Government . He has been working undercover for the last four years and it looks like someone is out for revenge.

There are several scenes in the book that are written so charged with action that I couldn't put the book down. The author describes Jess, Chase's wife as a very strong person. As you read the interaction between Jess and another woman , the intensity is so high, you catch yourself gasping as you devour the scene. It is an unforgettable fight for survival that is masterfully written.

The author is very well versed in weapons and details them brilliantly. There are several very powerful weapons that are used and with the detail from the author you can envision them with precise accuracy.
This is a story about power, drugs and betrayal . The question arises if the politicians of our great country would allow drugs to be brought in on purpose. What would be their motive? Can Chase carry out his assignment and trust everyone on his team? Will his parents be able to keep his family safe? Can he trust his family to have his back? This is one book that is sure to keep you guessing to the end. The author does not hold back on delivering a powerful explosive ending that readers will not see coming. if you are looking for a book that has nonstop action, deceit, power struggle and revenge, then " A Family Affair" is one you can't pass up.

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Where There Is A Life by Charlene Carr

I received a copy of this book for an honest review

Autumn and Matt have just gotten married. They are excited to begin their life together and are off to go in their honeymoon. Then suddenly Autumn awakes to find herself in a hospital room. Why is she not on her honeymoon? Where is her husband?  She starts to become more coherent and sees her parents off to the side in her hospital room. As they gently talk to her , she begins to get agitated. She demands to know where Matt is. Slowly her mind is able to comprehend  that Matt is no longer alive. Her parents tell her of the accident, and she slowly starts to remember that day.

Autumn has injuries that will take her awhile to recover from. But how will her heart recover? She was Matt's wife for only twenty-four hours , but in that short time her world was happy and bliss. As she slowly recovers physically, everyone around her knows that she is just going the motions . Her deep depression is trapping her in isolation as she tells her friends and family she is fine. For Autumn her dreams died the day Matt did. She feels hopeless and just wants to exist with no real purpose.

Autumn slowly starts to get up in the morning and start to take her life back. She forbids anyone to say Matt's name and decides she will just put him in the past and move forward. She tells her family that she has decided to take a trip overseas to get away. Maybe she can start to live again, find a purpose or just deal with her grief.

The author introduced us to several characters Autumn meets on her travels. She meets a brother snd sister and soon they develop a friendship. They decide to travel together and soon it seems as though Autumn is becoming herself again. Can she find a way to let go of her hurt and pain over losing her husband?

I enjoyed one of the stops Autumn makes in her journey when she meets Dominic. His family is old school Italian,  rich in culture. I loved it when Autumn smashes the grapes for wine with her feet. It made me think of a great scene from "I Love Lucy," where Lucy is trying to keep up with the other women who are smashing grapes with their feet and laughing at Lucy as she tries to keep up. The author wrote an amazing , happy time that Autumn experienced with people who liked her and she began to feel part of the family. She found herself enjoying being  around people again and having fun.

The story shares with the readers how one woman goes through loss, pain and finding herself again. It captures the emotions of a lost love and a woman who is determined to move forward and find peace. I loved the writing by the author that gave  Autumn  raw emotions as she  journeys to see her hopes and dreams come to pass. This is a story you will remember for a long time as the words flow so beautifully across the pages.I have

River Girl's Song by Angels Castillo

I was given a copy of this book for an honest review

Zillia is a young girl that has lost her papa and now lives withheld mom and stepfather. Her mother is a sweet , kind and gentle soul who is about to give birth. Jeb, the stepfather is a mean, uncaring, selfish man who drinks more than he should. He treats his wife with little respect and at times hits her with no remorse .

Zillia finds herself alone the day her mother goes into labor. She tries the best she can to help her mother and tells her stepfather to go fetch the doctor. Zillia senses that things are not right as her mother struggles to deliver the baby. On that fateful day, Zillia gains a brother but tragically loses her mother. She feels all alone and a fierce protection comes over her for the baby she now calls Orrie.

One morning as she gets up , she notices to her disbelieve that Jeb has taken everything from the house and disappeared. With strength and determination, Zillia vows to her little brother that he will always have her to care for him. Can she do this on her own? What lengths will Zillia have to endure to run a farm and take care of a child at the tender age of sixteen?

The story is beautifully written with characters that touch you and bring tears to your eyes. The author has given us a strong , but vulnerable character in Zillia. There are times that she is not sure she can survive, but with help from the town and a special person she soon realizes she can make things better for her brother and herself.

I loved the beautiful story that was rich in history and gave us a glimpse into the Native Americans. It shares the hardship of a young woman who finds hope and friendship with people she thought would not help her. Will she be able to raise Orrie? Will the harsh land and work on the farm be to much for her? This story is an inspiration to those who struggle and gives the readers a beautiful story of a young woman who you will see overcome obstacles and grow stronger. It reminds me of the verse in the bible that says, "He will never give you more than you can handle ." (  )

A Pinch of Promise by Elizabeth Maddrey

I was given a copy of this book for an honest review

It wasn't so long ago that Becky's life was in shambles. Some people might remember her as Marie, the teenager that everyone knew as the troubled teen that her parents had to endure years of struggles with her. Her dad is a famous pastor-turned-parenting expert and writes books on the subject. The press was relentless about Becky and her troubles with drugs, being known as a bad  girl and spending time in rehab facilities. The problem was, none of the stories were true. Her father wrote about a girl with those issues, but he never said who he was referring to. Can Becky every find a way to forgive her dad and find peace about her past?

One day Marie left her hometown, changed her name and never looked back. She had a very strained relationship with her father and had no intentions of ever forgiving him for the pain she went thru because of his books. Becky becomes a physical therapist and tries  to live a quiet life. As she is working one day, someone comes in for treatment on his knee. Ben stares at his physical therapist and sees a glimmer of someone he use to know ten years ago. He can't believe that it is possible that his therapist could be the same girl he fell in love with and never got over.

This is a powerful story about forgiveness and letting go of your past. The author has written a very touching story that shows us how hard it is to let go of your anger and start to let your heart soften from all the bitterness you have held in for so long.. As Ben decides he wants to start again with Becky, she continues to pull away from him. Ben's friends encourage him to not give up on Becky . One of them tell him, "if you want someone in your life, you pursue them. And if they run the other way, then run faster. It reminds me of what we need to be doing everyday. The author gives a great example of how we need to pursue God everyday and if there are obstacles, then run faster to get to Him.

Becky has always collected salt shakers and the author writes a beautiful analogy how what the salt represents. Becky says her salt shakers remind her that we're to be salt and light, and that even the tiniest pinch of salt offered someone the promise of a better life in Christ. The book is so beautifully written and shares with us the hurt that Becky felt her father had placed on her , when he wrote his books but would never say they weren't about her.  She also gives us insight into homeless shelters and the needs that can be overwhelming for them. I loved the ending and thought it was powerful and makes you think about who you may hold unforgiveness for. It is a love story with life lessons we can all learn from. All we need is "A Pinch of Promise."

Courage Ressurrected By R. Scott Mackey

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

The story revolves around Ray who has lost his wife, Pam in a car accident thirteen years ago. The day of the accident, Ray and his wife had been in an argument that resulted in her fleeing the house in anger and driving away. Does Ray have lingering guilt of that fateful day ?

From out of nowhere, years later, Ray receives an email from someone claiming to be his dead wife. The email goes on to accuse him of trying to muder her all those years ago. Whoever this person really is they intent on getting revenge and making sure he pays for what he tried to do. Who is this person writing the emails? If his wife is really dead, then who has a grudge against him? The author begins to lay the groundwork for a mystery that takes us on a journey of Ray trying to prove his innocence while trying to stay one step ahead of the police who decide that the investigation into what happened that day need to be re examined.

Of course Ray is the main suspect or as the police call it, a person of interest. But why are there others unsavory men following him? Is it their job to make sure he gets convicted of his wife's muder or is there something more mysterious going on with these men? Why are dead bodies shoeing up that point to Ray as the suspect?

The race is on for Ray to dig as deep as he can, stay out of jail and discover the truth behind Pam's death. He gets help from Rubia, a former student from his college days. Will they be able to solve the mystery before time runs out for Ray? The author gives us a book filled with a twists, a determination from Ray to prove his innocence and an ending you won't see coming. I love the authors style of writing that gives us little tiny subtle hints that could easily be missed if you rush thru the book. I encourage you to read the book, take everything in, watch for clues skillfully hidden within the story and enjoy the ride. (  )

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