About the Book

Book: Fragments of Fear

Author: Carrie Stuart Parks

Genre: Suspense

Release date: July 23, 2019

From award-winning author Carrie Stuart Parks comes a new novel with danger that reaches from a New Mexico Anasazi archaeological dig to micro- and nano-chip technology.

Evelyn Yvonne McTavish-Tavish to her friends-had her almost perfect world in Albuquerque, New Mexico, come to a crashing end with the suicide of her fiancé. As she struggles to put her life back together and make a living from her art, she’s given the news that her dog is about to be destroyed at the dog pound. Except she doesn’t own a dog. The shelter is adamant that the microchip embedded in the canine-with her name and address-makes it hers.

Tavish recognizes the dog as one owned by an archaeologist named Pat Caron because she did a commissioned drawing of the two of them months earlier. The simple solution is to return the dog to his owner, but she arrives only to discover Caron’s murdered body.

After meeting undercover FBI agent Sawyer Price the mystery deepens as more people start disappearing and Tavish becomes a target as well. Her only solution is to find the links between microchip technology, an Anasazi site in the desert, her fiancé’s death, a late-night radio show, and the dog. And the clock is ticking.

Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Author

Carrie Stuart Parks is a Christy finalist as well as a Carol Award-winning author. She has won numerous awards for her fine art as well. An internationally known forensic artist, she travels with her husband, Rick, across the US and Canada teaching courses in forensic art to law-enforcement professionals. The author/illustrator of numerous books on drawing and painting, Carrie continues to create dramatic watercolors from her studio in the mountains of Idaho.

More from Carrie

Using Art to Solve Crime: Techniques Used by Forensic Artists

Since 1981, I’ve been a forensic artist—an amazing feat since I’m only . . .um. . . well, younger than that. In those years, I’ve seen some shifts and trends, but some things have never changed. Despite the overwhelming prevalence of computers in almost every other field, they have never been able to replace a trained forensic artist. Artists have an amazing toolbox of techniques we use to gather the information we need to help solve crime.

1. The pencil. Any forensic artist worth her weight in graphite knows the power of the lowly pencil and a sketchpad. Law enforcement would love a photographic image of the suspect, but all we have to work with is memory…and memory is faulty. The more the image looks perfect, the more imperfect it is for helping to identify a suspect. We want the drawing to just suggest a likeness and eliminate those not similar.
2. Now that we brought up the subject of memory, a forensic artist needs to understand how memory works. The average witness will remember between four and five facial features. When they describe the person they saw, they will do so from their strongest memory to their weakest memory, from most important to least important. We listen carefully to the order of facial features.
3. Whole vs Parts. We don’t look at faces as individual parts, although a particularly outstanding nose or Marty Feldman eyes might catch our attention. We will remember the face as a whole, with the proportions of the face an unacknowledged part of that. Forensic artist prefer to use reference photographs where the whole face is viewed.

Want more? Check out the rest of my article at The Strand Magazine

Tavish is a very wealthy young woman who doesn't have the best relationship with her mother. I guess if you call your mother by her first name, it is obvious there is a fracture in the relationship. I didn't care for Tavish's mother at all. Maybe her mother is upset that her daughter is independent and doesn't always do what her mother wants her to do. Her mother is always requesting Tavish's appearance at functions she doesn't want to be at. Whatever the reason, the author does a great job of exploring their relationship throughout the story.

The suspense in the book is good and has many twists in it. What would you do if you received a call from an animal shelter  saying to come pick up your dog before it is euthanized? Tavish is quite confused with the call because she doesn't own a dog, but I'm so glad she has a good heart. The dog is a clue to something that brings the story to an adventure filled with secrets and danger. I adored the dog and thought it was a great addition to the story.

Sawyer  is charming and wants to help Tavish while trying to keep her safe. I love that he is not afraid to share his faith and encourage Tavish to not give up. It was fascinating to read about archaeology and be able to feel  a part of the dig that was going on. I love the element of art in the story and have always enjoyed learning  about different pieces that an artist has put their heart into. 

Tavish has a difficult time trusting people and when her life is in danger, she will have to learn to let her guard down and trust Sawyer. She is thrown into an unexpected turn of events that bring her to a place where she will encounter life and death. I loved how the author keeps readers guessing with her excellent ability to throw in curves that involve intrigue and surprises. 

It's hard to figure out who are the enemies and just what they are after which made me want to read as fast as I could. The book is very good with layers of complicated people who are after something of value. I have to say that I loved how intense the story is at times. Overall the story is  well written and  delves into the art world with drama, heart pounding action and a bit of faith scattered throughout the story. 

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, July 23

All-of-a-kind Mom, July 23

Blogging With Carol, July 23

A Reader’s Brain, July 23

A Baker’s Perspective, July 24

The Avid Reader, July 24

CarpeDiem, July 24

Fiction Aficionado, July 25

Christian Bookaholic, July 25

Godly Book Reviews, July 25

Through the Fire Blogs, July 26

Livin’ Lit, July 26

The Becca Files, July 26

Inklings and notions , July 26

Real World Bible Study, July 27

Cathe Swanson, July 27

D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, July 27

For Him and My Family, July 28

Lights in a Dark World, July 28

Retrospective Spines, July 28

Bigreadersite, July 29

Simple Harvest Reads, July 29 (Guest post from Mindy Houng)

Mary Hake, July 29

Truth and Grace Homeschool Acdemy, July 30

Blossoms and Blessings, July 30

EmpowerMoms, July 30

Aryn The Libraryan, July 31

Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, July 31

For the Love of Literature, July 31

Inspired by fiction, August 1

Ashley’s Bookshelf, August 1

By The Book, August 1

Tell Tale Book Reviews, August 2

Remembrancy, August 2

amandainpa, August 2

Pause for Tales, August 3

For the Love of Books, August 3

Just Your Average reviews, August 3

Hallie Reads, August 4

A Good Book and Cup of Tea, August 4

Daysong Reflections, August 4

Little Homeschool on the Prairie, August 5

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 5

Texas Book-aholic, August 5

janicesbookreviews, August 5

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Carrie is giving away a grand prize of her book!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/e592/fragments-of-fear-celebration-tour-giveaway

LIGHT FROM DISTANT STARS by SHAWN SMUCKER

This is the first book I've read from this author. His writing style is a bit different than I'm use to. He has strong characters though which he develops slowly like peeling an onion with precision. 

Cohen is a complex person who has had a troubled relationship with his father. They seemed to disconnect after Cohen's mother leaves with his sister. It must have been hard to be separated from his mother. I enjoyed the letters he received from Kaye, his sister as they grew up. 

The story is a very dynamic look at a father and son relationship. It's not unusual for a son to want approval from his father and Cohen desired that more than anything. He wanted his father to be proud of him, but he seemed to disappoint him on a level that was hard for Cohen to understand. 

He made lots of trips to church and after awhile I wanted to tell him to listen to the wisdom he has been told and move on.  I don't want to take away the obvious topic of relationships because the author does a great job of examining how Cohen felt guilty of not really letting his father know how much he loved him. Cohen just seemed not able to  let go of his guilt and it hurt to think he may not get the chance to tell his father how important he has been in his life.

For me the book does make you think about your life and how your relationship is with family. Life is too short to let a day go by being angry because of your pride. It looks like the author accomplished a very important message through this book. Be thankful for everyday and let those you love know how important they are to you.

I received a copy of this book from Revell  Reads Blog Program. The review is my own opinion.

About the Book

Book: Identity Theft

Author: Alana Terry

Genre: Christian fiction, mystery/suspense

Release date: March 15, 2019

She imagined Alaska would be the perfect place to hide. She found out it’s the most dangerous place to be found …
Lacy has a secret. A secret nobody knows — not even her fiancé.
A secret that would cost her life … and so much more.
So it’s a good thing she’s tucked away in the very heart of rural Alaska, where for once in her life she is finally safe.
But can she stay that way for long?
Suspenseful, thrilling, and impossible to put down, Identity Theft is an unforgettable novel by bestselling Christian author Alana Terry.
Buy your copy today … but be prepared to stay up late!

About the Author

Alana is a pastor’s wife, homeschooling mom, self-diagnosed chicken lady, and Christian suspense author. Her novels have won awards from Women of Faith, Book Club Network, Grace Awards, Readers’ Favorite, and more. Alana’s passion for social justice, human rights, and religious freedom shines through her writing, and her books are known for raising tough questions without preaching. She and her family live in rural Alaska where the northern lights in the winter and midnight sun in the summer make hauling water, surviving the annual mosquito apocalypse, and cleaning goat stalls in negative forty degrees worth every second.

More from Alana

What’s the first thing that pops into your mind when you think about Alaska? Are you a city soul or do you prefer the country? I’m pretty happy in small-town Alaska, but I’m afraid that wasn’t always the case.

Have you ever lived in a town with 400 residents? Even with all the wide-open spaces, it’s enough to make some personalities feel claustrophobic. 

I thought of our move to rural living as our big adventure. (Because what’s more adventurous than feeding chickens and milking goats at negative 40 degrees?) Then I read my first draft of Identity Theft and realized the adjustment wasn’t going as smoothly as I hoped. It was more autobiographical than I had realized!

However, I learned to love rural Alaska, and that’s the main reason I wanted to write my Alaskan Refuge Christian Suspense Novel series – so I could share some of my favorite parts with you.

Identity Theft is the first of three stand-alone novels, all filled with adventure, suspense and thrills, and all set against the backdrop of Alaska. I hope as you settle in to read, you will begin to experience a little of what I’ve grown to love living in this spectacular state.

Reading books from this author always helps me draw closer to God. She writes stories that have great lessons and scriptures that enhance the story. This story was an easy and quick read. I enjoyed the suspense and learned so much about the Witness Protection Program. I can't imagine having to give up everything that identifies you and starting over.

Lacy happens to be at the wrong place at the wrong time with her  boyfriend several years ago. They witness something that puts them both in danger. Lacy is whisked away to Alaska to start a new life. She is cut off from her family and friends. She often wonders about her boyfriend. Did she really see him die that fateful day? How long will she have to pretend to be Jo?

I  learned a lot of interesting things about Alaska in the book. One of the intriguing things was the abundance of mosquitoes they have. I never thought about them having a mosquito problem. In Texas where I live, mosquitoes take over neighborhoods. Someday I would like to visit Alaska and see the snow and beautiful landscape.

Two people really stand out in this story. One of them is Kurtis who is a state trooper. He becomes involved with Lacy and they develop a nice relationship. Things seem to be moving forward but Lacy can't seem to let go of her feelings for her boyfriend. Will Kurtis be able to help her feel secure? Can she learn to trust a man who loves her and knows that God will protect them?

The other important person in the story is Sandy who is Lacy's foster mother. The love and compassion she has for Lacy is so special . She speaks words of wisdom to her and tries to get her to let go of the past. I loved when Sandy said to Lacy, " I always like to picture my tears are the rain that's gonna water the flowers God's sending my way? What a beautiful way to express how God heals us and shows us a new beginning. 

The suspense in the book is good and I did figure out most of it, but it was still fun to read how the author puts twists in there and keeps the action going. The story reminds me to be thankful for my family and to remember that "God has a plan for our lives." He will always be there to protect us.

I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

Blog Stop

Genesis 5020, July 25

EmpowerMoms, July 25

Inklings and notions, July 26

Blogging With Carol, July 26

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 27

D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, July 27

Just the Write Escape, July 27

Just Your Average reviews, July 28

Splashes of Joy, July 28

Carla Loves To Read, July 29

Retrospective Spines, July 29

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 29

All-of-a-kind Mom, July 30

The Becca Files, July 30

Quiet Quilter, July 31

Maureen’s Musings, July 31

Godly Book Reviews, August 1

For Him and My Family, August 1

Texas Book-aholic, August 1

Literary Reflections Book Blog, August 2

Mary Hake, August 2

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, August 3

CarpeDiem, August 3

Through the Fire Blogs, August 4

Stephanie’s Life of Determination, August 4

Tell Tale Book Reviews, August 5

Moments, August 5

Henry Happens, August 6

Livin’ Lit, August 6

janicesbookreviews, August 6

As He Leads is Joy, August 7

A Readers Brian, August 7

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Alana is giving away a $30 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/e546/identity-theft-celebration-tour-giveaway

WELCOME TO HUGO PROMO BLAST WRITTEN BY PAMELA POOLE

PRESENTED BY CELEBRATE LIT

On September 21, 1989, Hurricane Hugo came in the dead of night, slamming Category 4 power into Charleston, South Carolina at the worst possible time—high tide. Painter Place is scoured by the writing Atlantic storm surge, forcing Caroline Painter Gregory to say goodbye to a life she loves and face a future that may hold the worst that might happen. On the devastated South Carolina coastline of 1989 and then in Arles, France during the centennial of Van Gogh's life there, Hugo continues the saga of Painter Place.

Pamela Poole's love for the South inspires all her books and paintings. She has written three novels and two short stories that take place on the fictional island in the Painter Place Saga, and she will launch the fourth book. Landmark, in 2019. Pamela lives life loving Jesus and her family as a wife, mother, and Gigi, and she is blessed with true friends. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and various author and artist organizations. She and her husband Mark live in Raleigh, North Carolina.

"Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us— to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:20,21

Purchase Link:

https://amzn.to/2WRKIix

Social Media links:

Pamela Poole, Artist and Author, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PamelaPooleArt

Pamela Poole, Artist and Author, Twitter:https://twitter.com/PamelaPooleArt

Pamela P. Poole, Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/pamelapooleart

Author blog on Southern Sky Publishing:https://www.southernskypublishing.com/blog

Twitter page for Southern Sky Publishing:https://twitter.com/southernskypubs  

I was so excited to read the follow up book that started with Painter's Place.  I remember every character from the first  book because they were so easy to fall in love with. Caroline was such a talented painter and we traveled far away for her to experience art work and historical places. This book finds the characters facing one of the biggest challenges people have living on the coast. Hurricane Hugo had its sights on the Carolina coast and disaster was about to strike.

The author does a realistic account of the hurricane and the destruction it can cause. I have been through several and they are destructive and dangerous. The moment Hugo hit, chaos broke out. Caroline goes into labor and has no way to get to the hospital. I could feel the anxiety rising as everything around them started to crumble. Hurricanes have no mercy and they can hit one side of the street and not the other. It has a mind of its own and Painter's Place was the target for this hurricane.

The story is filled with trying to survive the disaster and picking up the pieces after the storm. I felt for everyone who had to look at their homes and cars and realize they had lost more than material things. One of the things I really enjoyed about the book was getting to know the characters better. Chad and Caroline are having a hard time communicating. The tension between them is strong.  The family comes together to rebuild and along the way, repair relationships. This story is a wonderful journey with people who overcome obstacles and find renewed faith . 

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

About the Book

Book: All In

Author: L.K. Simonds

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Release date: May 7, 2019

Cami Taylor: a blackjack dealer, a bestselling author, and a fraud. Cami’s boyfriend, Joel, loves her in spite of her flaws. He wants to marry her, buy a house on Long Island, and raise a family–a life that’s a million miles from Cami’s idea of happiness. Her therapist suggests compromise and trust, but Cami bolts like a deer. She breaks off the relationship and launches on a new quest for happiness, not knowing that a nasty surprise waits around the corner. What follows is a fight to the death. Who will be the one left standing?

Click here to purchase your copy

About the Author

L. K. Simonds is a Fort Worth local. She has worked as a waitress, KFC hostess, telephone marketer, assembly-line worker, nanny, hospital lab technician, and air traffic controller. She’s an instrument-rated pilot and an alumna of Christ for the Nations Institute in Dallas. All In is her first novel.

More from L.K. Simonds

How I came to write ALL IN.

Back in the 1990s, I was vacationing in NYC with my buddies. We got out the phonebook—as we always did while traveling—to see how many people with our last names were listed. In that thick Manhattan phonebook was one listing for a person with the same name as my friend’s. Two initials and a surname, as a single woman might’ve listed her number back in those days. The address was only a few blocks from our Midtown hotel, and we joked about calling to see if she was a long-lost cousin, who might take us to her favorite shops and restaurants.

We didn’t call, but the “what if?” stuck with me. What if you did call? What if the person you called was in crisis? Or about to face a crisis? What if that serendipitous phone call resulted in a friendship that became a lifeline? That notion was the inception of ALL IN.

ALL IN is my first offering as a novelist—my best writing to date. I hope you enjoy it!

In the story Cami is uncaring, daring and downright sinful. She doesn’t care what people think or how she is perceived . There are several times in the book where the author goes into  details about encounters with men that I found very offensive. I think she could have written it in a way that gets the point across with out going into details. Like I said I understand sin is harsh , but in a Christian Fiction book we should not be okay with taking such liberties that cross genres. 

The last half of the book is where the real story is. Cami is finding out that there are consequences to sin. Her life is forever changed with a few words. I won’t say what it is but it will wake her up to all the things she has done. 

There are two very significant people in the story that make the book worth reading. Kate and Sam are the perfect characters to speak wisdom and give compassion to Cami. I have to admit I didn’t like Cami. She was a horrible person and I got tired of reading about everything she did. Then I stopped. Well look at me judging a person in sin. Am I no better than her? “Ye without sin, cast the first stone.”

The author uses some inappropriate language that I cringed at. I wonder why this book is classified as Christian Fiction with all the inappropriate language and vivid descriptions. The bottom line of the book is redemption and it takes a while to get there. Most of Cami’s story could have been shortened and maybe cleaned up a bit. 

The ending is good though I don’t agree with everything that happened or how it happened. It almost seemed rushed and tied in a  perfect bow. Overall the theme of the book is a good one but I’m not so sure I liked how it was presented in this story. 

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

Blog Stops

Just the Write Escape, July 18

Reflections From My Bookshelves, July 19

Carpe Diem, July 20

For Him and My Family, July 21

Through the Fire Blogs, July 22

Moments, July 23

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 24

Seasons of Opportunities, July 25

amandainpa, July 26

Pause for Tales, July 27

janicesbookreviews, July 27

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 28

Texas Book-aholic, July 29

Inklings and notions, July 30

A Reader’s Brain, July 31

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, L.K. Simonds is giving away a $25 Visa gift card and a hardback copy of All In!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/e545/all-in-celebration-tour-giveaway

WELCOME TO RIPTIDE RUMORS BY MELODY CARLSON  REVIEW PROMO BLAST

PRESENTED BY CELEBRATE LIT

If the Tide Doesn’t Change, Who Will Pay the Price?

As autumn of 1916 descends upon the once-peaceful town of Sunset Cove, Anna McDowell has great hopes that the excitement of the summer will be over, now that a few of the key players in the rum-running ring have been arrested. But with a daring jailbreak getting the town in a dither again, she knows that the danger hasn’t passed for anyone in her coastal hometown.

With a mayoral election keeping tensions high and the authorities busy searching for those behind the jailbreak, Anna has plenty to keep the newspaper busy. But when her sixteen-year-old daughter begins making noises about leaving high school and abandoning dreams of college, Anna realizes that prohibition isn’t the only thing she needs to be worrying about.

How deep does the root of corruption run in their town? As she digs deeper, Anna is forced to put the concerns of her own heart on hold in an effort to save some of the people dearest to her.

Melody Carlson has written more than 200 books (with sales around 6.5 million) for teens, women, and children. That’s a lot of books, but mostly she considers herself a “storyteller.” Her young adult novels (Diary of a Teenage Girl, True Colors etc.) appeal to teenage girls around the world. Her annual Christmas novellas become more popular each year. She’s won a number of awards (including RT’s Career Achievement Award, the Rita, and the Gold medallion) and some of her books have been optioned for film/TV. Carlson has two grown sons and makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and yellow Lab dog.

Purchase link:

https://amzn.to/2YZBEdF

Social Media:

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Melody-Carlson/e/B000APR3DC/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4?qid=1549482870&sr=8-4

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melodycarlsonauthor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authormelodycarlson/?hl=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorCarlson

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7383.Melody_Carlson?from_search=true

Website: http://www.melodycarlson.com/

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/melody-carlson

It is so nice to be back with Anna and Kate in Sunset Cove. Anna has been busy with the newspaper and watching her daughter start to become independent. The story is the second in a series called, The Legacy of Sunset Cove. I have been anxious to read this book because the author left us with some unanswered questions. I love reading about Anna and challenges of running a newspaper. The town is slowly starting to accept a woman editor, but some good old boys still don't like it. They weren't thrilled when finally the women got the right to vote. Things are really changing in the world and there is also talk of war.

For some reason this story reminded me of the show called The Gilmore Girls. Anna and Katy are very close but at times they disagree just like on the show. They share their thoughts and I love how Katy is becoming more of a young woman and thinking of her future. There will be a disagreement about her future. The author does a great job of allowing us to watch Katy take on challenges and prove herself to her family. I have to say I really enjoyed getting to know Katy and Anna better.

There is a mystery going on in town that will shake the community. A murder has taken place and if that wasn't enough there is a jail break. Anna has her hands full trying to cover both stories and does a little investigation on her own. There are several suspects and it looks like rum running is still a big problem in the town.

Anna has two men who may be interested in her and it makes for a wonderful journey to watch Anna finally relax a little and get courted. I wonder who she will end up with? Like mother like daughter as the saying goes because Katy has two suitors herself. I can tell you I'm not happy with one of them. He seems shady and quick to move things along with Katy. Beware Katy. He is up to no good.

The story is exciting, action packed, filled with  corruption, and a mayoral race along with many  surprises. I'm hoping there is another book in the series, because the author has left me with some questions I need answered. If you are looking for a light read with faith and intrigue , this is the perfect book for you.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.