Ringing in the New Year: Enticing Options

Alessandro d'Avenia

ISBN: 9780785217060

Publisher's Synopsis:

Leo is an ordinary sixteen-year-old: he loves hanging out with his friends, playing soccer, and zipping around on his motorbike. The time he has to spend at school is a drag, and his teachers are “a protected species that you hope will become extinct,” so when a new history and philosophy teacher arrives, Leo greets him with his usual antipathy. But this young man turns out to be different. His eyes sparkle when he talks, and he encourages his students to live passionately, and follow their dreams.

Leo now feels like a lion, as his name suggests, but there is still one thing that terrifies him: the color white. White is absence; everything related to deprivation and loss in his life is white. Red, on the other hand, is the color of love, passion and blood; red is the color of Beatrice’s hair. Leo's dream is a girl named Beatrice, the prettiest in school. Beatrice is irresistible - one look from her is enough to make Leo forget about everything else.

There is, however, a female presence much closer to Leo, which he finds harder to see because she’s right under his nose: the ever-dependable and serene Silvia. When he discovers that Beatrice has leukemia and that her disease is related to the white that scares him so much, Leo is forced to search within himself, to bleed and to be reborn. In the process, he comes to understand that dreams must never die, and he finds the strength to believe in something bigger than himself.

White as Milk, Red as Blood is not only a coming-of-age story and the narrative of a school year, but it is also a bold novel that, through Leo's monologue - at times easy-going and full of verve, at times more intimate and anguished - depicts what happens when suffering and shock burst into the world of a teenager, and the world of adults is rendered speechless.

"Everything is a color,

Every emotion is a color."

MrsK's Review:

(YA: Reality Fiction)
Leo doesn't like white. Life isn't white! Listening to others is a good way to avoid the white. Leo has friends, he even has a girl he likes, her name is Beatrice. Yet, his life is different from kids at school. His difference comes from his unique perspective about people and life. Being 16 isn't a smooth transitional period of life. Hating the Dreamer will turn Leo's outlook upside-down because ignorance can't remain comfortable.

The Dreamer entered Leo's life as a substitute teacher. "To grasp beauty from anywhere and share it..." According to Leo, the Dreamer writes well on his blog. The Dreamer inspires curious minds in the classroom. Can he bring history alive to these students? Will his guidance help his students prepare for adult-hood? Change is in the air at this high school.

Silvia is insightful, loyal, and always goes the extra mile for Leo. Her dream is to become an artist. Silvia always "forces" Leo to go deeper in his thoughts, actions, and beliefs. Will she help him make sense about Beatrice's future? What will be the cost to their friendship?

Beatrice is one of Leo's dreams. She appears perfect in every way. That is until Leo discovers that her blood cells are in a war for her life. Leo is determined to help Beatrice live, even if it means giving her his blood, his free-time, his heart, and even his future. 

It is a rare find when a book engages you to the point of pondering wisdom and life. Crafted with depth, these characters will remain witnesses throughout your life...
MrsK

"Freedom allows us to dream,

and dreams are the blood of life,

even if that occasionally means taking a long journey

and getting a bit beaten up along the way."

Meet the Author:

  Alessandro D’Avenia, born in 1977 in Palermo, holds a PhD in classics and is a high school literature teacher and screenwriter.
Alessandro D’Avenia holds a PhD in Classical Literature, and teaches Ancient Greek, Latin and Literature at a high school in Milan. White as Silence, Red as Song was his first novel,published in Italy in 2010. It sold a million copies in Italy, has been translated into over twenty languages and was released as a film in 2012. Alessandro has since published four more books, the latest of which, Every Story is a Love Story, was published in October 2017.

Colleen Coble

ISBN: 9780718085803

Publisher's Synopsis:

Ellie Blackmore is making a name for herself as a house flipper. But when her sister Mackenzie disappears, Ellie can’t focus on anything but uncovering what happened. Her only clue is the bloodstain on the deck of Mackenzie’s boat. Ellie knows her sister isn’t on the best of terms with her ex-husband, Jason, but he wouldn’t kill her—would he?

Coast Guard intelligence officer Grayson Bradshaw believes Mackenzie faked her own death after stealing a seized cocaine shipment. The problem is convincing Ellie, who seems to view him as the true enemy.

Both Ellie and Grayson want truth, but truth—and family—is often more complex than it first appears. From international terrorism to the peaceful lavender fields of Puget Sound, The House at Saltwater Point is a thrilling race to uncover the truth before it’s too late.

"You've heard to trust your instincts..."

MrsK's Review:
(Legal Thriller)
Ellie is a interior designer, a contractor, strong and witty. Her blog, Hammer Girl, keeps her in business and she is rather "set" in her ways. After all, flipping homes isn't for anyone weak by nature or without grit. That is until, her sister, Mac, goes missing. Now everything in her every day life becomes out of focus. What begins as slashed tires quickly escalates into murder and a race for life.

Grayson is an intelligence officer, yet he has just arrived in Lavendar Tides, Washington. His vacation was called short once the two tons of cocaine ended up missing, how could officials lose an entire seized shipment? If that wasn't enough stress, now his parents have acknowledged that a strangers request might just be the truth. His hunches about Mackenzie Blackmore's connection in the heist were strong, and for the most part, his hunches were rarely wrong.

Who was leading whom astray? Grayson will stay close to Ellie, for now. That is until his hunches provides his next lead. Ellie is getting more and more frustrated with Grayson's attitude of her sister, maybe she should investigate on her own.

Neither one is completely truthful, neither one is trusting, yet both will need to rely on each other! Death is just a few steps behind them,
MrsK

"Hammer Girl... a reminder that she is

strong and resilient."

Twists and turns...Who can you trust?

Meet the Author:

  USAToday bestselling author Colleen Coble lives with her husband, Dave, in Indiana. She is the author of dozens of novels including the Rock Harbor Series, the Aloha Reef Series, the Mercy Falls Series, the Hope Beach Series, the Lonestar Series and two Women of Faith fiction selections, Alaska Twilight and Midnight Sea. She has more than 2 million books in print.

Elizabeth Byler Younts

ISBN: 9780718075668

Publisher's Synopsis:

After the loss of her young son, Carver, an African-American preacher’s wife named Delilah Evans moves with her family from Montgomery, Alabama, to Sinking Creek, Pennsylvania, for a fresh start. The last thing she could have imagined was becoming friends with Emma Mullet, a reclusive Amish woman.

Emma is fighting personal battles of her own and feels estranged from her small Amish community. The secrets that have kept her isolated from her own community serve to unite her in an unlikely friendship with Delilah.

Sparrow, Delilah’s eldest daughter, knows she is responsible for the death of her little brother. When tensions at home become unbearable, she seeks solace at Emma’s house, becoming the surrogate daughter Emma has always wanted. Sparrow, however, is hiding secrets of her own, secrets that could sever all ties to her safe refuge.

Life for these three gets harder when church and social issues confront them, causing rifts within Sinking Creek’s three distinct communities: whites, blacks, and Amish. When their carefully protected secrets come to light, there seems to be little hope for friendship, restoration, or even forgiveness. But when the unthinkable happens, Delilah and Emma find themselves looking into the mirror of their own self-deceptions and are forced to make a choice that will set the way of their future.

"God was painting His love across the sky,

but I didn't deserve to see it."

MrsK's Review:

(Historical Fiction)
Delilah has just buried her son, Carver. A month has gone by, yet her heart still feels broken. Leaving Alabama for Pennsylvania could be a fresh start, at least that's what she has been told. Yet, she just didn't trust that life would be different up north even though it was the 50's. Upon arrival, Delilah's heart was pounding in fear as Carver's twin, George, ended up missing. It was in the woods that she found him, safe in the arms of Emma.

Emma lives in Sinking Creek, PA. With burdens so secret, Emma's day dreaming brings a solace to her days. "The blades of grass twist and turn...," Emma knew she had to be quick about writing her words down, quick before they "flew away." She had found her love for words in the eighth grade and even though she never returned to school, she couldn't stop from writing the lines that bubbled forth. Something new was unfolding that day she had found the little boy, something spoke deep with in when that child's mother found them. 

Sparrow is Delilah's daughter, she has been gifted with a wisdom beyond her years. As soon as George goes missing, Emma follows her mama into the woods of Sinking Creek. That's when she first sees Emma. After her mama takes George home, she notices the basket that the was forgotten. Hurrying, she follows the path that leads to Emma's property. As the days follow, Sparrow finds peace within those woods. A peace that eludes her when she is at home. Her guilt about Carver is a burden that has no healing. Yet, when she is befriended by Emma's son, she slowly begins to recognize the stirring within... hope was being rekindled

Deeply moving story about grief, dysfunction, and fanning the flame of hope. Friendship has many facets, sometimes it can be a silence that recognizes the sorrow,
MrsK

Deeply moving!

Meet the Author:

 Elizabeth Byler Younts is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers. She gained a worldwide audience through her first book Seasons: A Real Story of an Amish Girl and is a RITA nominated writer. She is also the author of The Promise of Sunrise series. She has consulted on Amish lifestyle and the Pennsylvania Dutch dialect two award-winning television shows. Elizabeth lives in Central Pennsylvania with her husband, two daughters, and a cockapoo named Fable.

Carrie Stuart Parks

ISBN: 9780718083854

Publisher's Synopsis:

When her twin sister was murdered, Murphy Anderson changed her name and appearance and moved to Kodiak to avoid the press and publicity. But when local authorities discover she’s an artist and request her help in drawing a dying man’s memories, she unintentionally ends up in the limelight again—and may be back in the killer’s cross-hairs.

The memory that Murphy was asked to draw was from an Alaskan hunter who discovered five bodies on remote Ruuwaq Island ten years ago, but has only shared the information with the police now that he’s dying of cancer. When they go to the island to investigate, no skeletons remain but there is evidence that the bodies may have been deliberately destroyed. But the big discovery is of a World War II Quonset hut.

As one by one the people who were at the hut die, Murphy knows there is something much deeper at stake. What happened there during WWII? And who is willing to kill to keep those secrets buried?

"You know, messy crime scenes, dead bodies, stuff like that..."

MrsK's Review:

(Mystery, Legal Thriller)

Murphy's lies were getting her in deep, ever since she came to Kodiak Island she just couldn't keep out of these situations. What began as a half truth has quickly ensnared her in an investigation as a forensic artist. After a year on Kodiak, Murphy found that the rain provided a perfect atmosphere. Hiding from the past was becoming comfortable. Painting a few pictures, crafting sea glass jewelry helped her get by. Mr. Brinkley had claimed her small accommodations as his home, once in he became her sounding board and confidant. He wasn't just a stray, he was all she had that kept her past and present somewhat balanced. Why had her sister come to Kodiak? Why is the serial killer on the loose, could he be the reason so many are dying? How could he have followed her? 

Detective Elin Olsson has strong instincts. She knows that Murphy has what it takes to help document the newest crime scenes. She knows she can trust Murphy to get the evidence that will lead to a conviction. What began as a deathbed confession, has now become a double homicide. What did that old hunter discover on the Ruuwaq Island ten years ago?

Bertie Fischer is from the state's crime lab. On Ruuwaq Island, Bertie takes a death-defying fall that sends her to the Anchorage hospital. But, before she goes, she enlists Murphy's help against Zinkerton. Bertie knows who Murphy is and why she has arrived on Kodiak. 

Joshua Ward is a patrol officer, who takes over helping Murphy gather evidence while Bertie is hospitalized. For Joshua, Murphy seems like a real life Jessica Fletcher. Everyone around her is dying.

Ryan Wallace is a journalist writing a history piece about the Salmon Run Lodge. That is until he has to rescue Murphy from the owner.

Are you ready for one wild and crazy ride of deception?
MrsK 

"He says it looked like they killed each other with

their bare hands."

A thriller that entices page-turners to read
long into the night!

Meet the Author:

  Carrie Stuart Parks is Christy, Carol, and Inspy award-winning author, an award-winning fine artist, and internationally known forensic artist. Along with her husband, Rick, she travels across the US and Canada teaching courses in forensic art to law enforcement as well as civilian participants. She has won numerous awards for career excellence. Carrie is a popular platform speaker, presenting a variety of topics from crime to creativity.

"I received these books from the Fiction Guild for these reviews."