Booked to Dine: Jan-March Book Picks 2022

 Each of these titles have been woven with strands of life, hope, and determination.

With every turn of the page, you will discover moments of "new" mornings dawning,

as well as a display of daily strength.

Kim Meeder

ISBN: 9781590522691

Publisher's Synopsis:

Follow a horse where no one else can tread, through the minefield of pain that surrounds a broken child's soul. From a mistreated horse to an emotionally starved child and back again, a torrent of love revives their barren places.

In the presence of unconditional love, a mute girl speaks for the first time. A defiant teenager teaches a horse to trust again...and opens his own heart to love. A rescued horse gives a dying man his last wish. A battered girl finds love and protection in the friendship of a battered horse...

Come visit a place where the impossible flourishes, where dreams survive the inferno of reality--a place where hope rises.

MrsK's Review:

Have you been called to make a leap of faith and move to place that was not on your radar and beyond your imagination? What if the whispering within your heart was calling you to bring hope to the hopeless? What if the hopeless were abused or abandoned horses? What if that leap of faith opened up a ranch for those horses? Finally, what if there is still more to be done?

Meet Kim Meeder! Her story unfolds through-out this collection of life-changing moments. These moments of redemption, renewal, and  hope provides an inside look "into" the heart of one who answered, "Yes" to the calling of a mighty God. Whether it is the purchase of a horse in need or it's the open-arm invitation to those broken by life. These chapters are more than stories from a ranch, they are moments in which you, the reader, will recognize the touch of His handiwork.

With an eloquent weaving of words, each chapter witnesses the healing of a soul, a spirit, and a future. Once you've entered the first chapter, Angels in Horsehair, your connection becomes more than a page-turning adventure. Your heart begins to grow a desire to see "healing" in action. 

When this book finds it's way into your hands, you will face the grip of "anger and compassion," you will drink in the inner peace of the "broken now restored." Your search for a perfect match will be restored when your heart is shattered by a destructive "stony prison" tenderly transformed into a "captive soul" unchained. 

If wishes could come true... your spirit would soar like an eagle on the wings of our Lord's hope for all of his creation. Are you ready to be inspired? Are their areas within the recesses of your heart that is longing for hope? When was the last time you read a book that is filled with "real-life" hope?

MrsK

Meet the Author:

Kim Meeder has seen horses go where no one else can tread - stepping through the minefield of a broken child's soul in a dance of trust that only God can understand. From a mistreated horse to an emotionally starved child and back again, a torrent of love washes away their barren places. Kim's ranch is a place where this miracle happens over and over again. It is a place where the impossible flourishes, where dreams survive the inferno of reality - a place where hope rises.  Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch  

Christina Alger
ISBN: 9780143122753

Publisher's Synopsis:

A sophisticated page-turner about a wealthy New York family embroiled in a financial scandal with cataclysmic consequences. Now that he's married to Merrill Darling, daughter of billionaire financier Carter Darling, attorney Paul Ross has grown accustomed to New York society and all of its luxuries: a Park Avenue apartment, weekends in the Hamptons, bespoke suits. When Paul loses his job, Carter offers him the chance to head the legal team at his hedge fund. Thrilled with his good fortune in the midst of the worst financial downturn since the Great Depression, Paul accepts the position.

But Paul's luck is about to shift: a tragic event catapults the Darling family into the media spotlight, a regulatory investigation, and a red-hot scandal with enormous implications for everyone involved. Suddenly, Paul must decide where his loyalties lie-will he save himself while betraying his wife and in-laws or protect the family business at all costs?

"The weather is optimal...This has to be done now."

MrsK's Review:

9:30pm Paul slips into the ballroom for the live auction. Even though he wasn't feeling up to the after-party, Paul knew that Merrill needed him to make an appearance. The Darling family expected loyalty, honesty, and above all a social etiquette that was becoming of their New York status. Including the Thanksgiving weekend in East Hammond.

Since the Wall Street collapse, Paul had begun his job with Delphic. Merrill's father, Carter, was a powerful investor.  He was just beginning to find a new rhythm. Then came the phone call on Wednesday at 6:23am... Morty was dead!

Steeped in "deep" deception, you the reader are invited into the world of the financial elite. The Darling family has enjoyed generations of east coast living. Careers have been profitable, daily lives are free from the worry of what daily living costs, and high-stake relationships are formed. Given the fall of Wall Street, many find themselves without their jobs... without connections once relied upon... without the assurance of someone having your back. What will be revealed about Morty... endangers the Darling family and all who have invested, trusted, and knew to be secure. What will be learned... that depends on who can hold on to their "truth and moral" foundations.

It has been many years since I've opened the cover of a social drama, the promise of a thriller delivered this novel into my hands. Although this book took some time for me to reacquaint myself with this genre, it was so well written... I had to continue my journey with the Darling family! It was worth renewing my interest in books about the "echelons of New York,"

MrsK

Meet the Author:

      

Christina Alger is a native New Yorker and former attorney, Alger’s intimate knowledge of the financial world and legal system gives her novels and screenplays additional depth, intrigue, and expertise. As said by The Wall Street Journal, “Cristina Alger knows her way around 21st Century wealth and power, and she tells a twisty, suspenseful story.” Prior to her writing career, Alger was a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs and a corporate attorney at Wilmer Hale. She is a graduate of Harvard University, where she studied English and American Literature and Language, and NYU School of Law.

Mario Escobar

ISBN: 9780785219958

Publisher's Synopsis:

In 1943 Germany, Helene is just about to wake up her children to go to school when a group of policemen break into her house. The policemen want to haul away her gypsy husband and their five children. The police tell Helene that as a German she does not have to go with them, but she decides to share the fate of her family. After convincing her children that they are going off to a vacation place, so as to calm them, the entire family is deported to Auschwitz.

Helene, with the help of two Polish Jewish prisoners and four gypsy mothers, organizes the buildings. Though Mengele provides them with swings, Disney movies, school supplies, and food, the people are living in crowded conditions under extreme conditions. And less than 400 yards away, two gas chambers are exterminating thousands of people daily.

For sixteen months, Helene lives with this reality, desperately trying to find a way to save her children. Auschwitz Lullaby is a story of perseverance, of hope, and of strength in one of the most horrific times in history.

MrsK's Review:

Indifference between Life and Death

Berlin, May 1943. Helene is a mother of five children, she works double shifts to keep her family afloat. Her husband Johann is a violin virtuoso in the Berlin Philharmonic. Given that Helene is of Aryan decent, at first, her marriage to a Gypsy was given permission to remain in their home. As occupation continued, the horrific conditions brought that dreaded "knock" of despair. Helene had choices to make. First, she had to explain to her children that it was their turn to go to a type of a "summer camp," and finally she would not need to accompany her family, for her nursing skills were needed.

Filled with trepidation, Helene stood firm. On the rails to Auschwitz, would prove to be a foreshadowing of what the camp experience would become. Separated from Johann, Helene would discover that the "life" at camp would forever leave its mark upon her heart, a lasting imprint upon her children, and unwavering hope that soon the world would discover the value in humanity.

"Mothers capable of generating life could never become accomplices to so much death."

Helene begins helping at the camp with her nursing skills, yet her heart went out to the children who had nothing to do. How could she bring joy to them and necessary nourishment? Her legacy will be found in the establishment of a nursery and school.

This story is crafted with the truth of an oppressive regime. The horror of man's egotistical hunger for control. Yet, the hearts of the mothers, will usher in the strength of hope for their children. The value of life in the midst of death. United in an incomprehensible reality... 

May we be blessed with the value of life...

MrsK

"Human beings are momentary breaths in the midst

of the hurricane of our circumstances."

Meet the Author:

Mario Escobar Golderos has a degree in History, with an advanced studies diploma in Modern History. He has written numerous books and articles about the Inquisition, the Protestant Reformation, and religious sects. He is the executive director of an NGO and directs the magazine Nueva historia para el debate, in addition to being a contributing columnist in various publications. Passionate about history and its mysteries, Escobar has delved into the depths of church history, the different sectarian groups that have struggled therein, and the discovery and colonization of the Americas. He specializes in the lives of unorthodox Spaniards and Americans.

Margaret M Lothrop

The Wayside: Home of Authors

Concord, Massachusetts

Synopsis:

Minute Man National Historical Park

MrsK's Review:

Did you know that eleven authors have published at least one book while living at The Wayside? Often times a book will choose you... to be it's reader. That is exactly how this delightful journey began. With such a heavy heart during the world's lock down, this book became my own evening retreat.

I learned about the farming abilities of Mr. Alcott, including the aromatic beauty of his flower garden. I learned that the family gave protection to escaped slaves in 1847 and that each of the girls enjoyed their adventures at Hillside. The old house, it's big attic, the barn, and the hillside became their "special playground."

At the age of 48, Mr. Hawthorne was financially ready to own a home, a place to "discover the psychological processing in which man determines his actions." Social engagements (dances), visiting writers, games, political discussion gatherings, and writing impromptu opportunities became a weekly life style.

In 1883, The Wayside became the home of Margaret Sidney (pen name),The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew had already been published as the Lothrop family was moving into The Wayside. Mr. Daniel Lothrop established his publishing firm, D. Lothrop & Co., in 1868. A publishing company that has remains in business (1905=Lothrop, Lee & Shepard; William Morrow & Co. (Harper Collins in 1999).

Mr. Lothrop was convicted that they would "never publish a book purely sensational, no matter what the chances of money it had in it. Their published books will make for true, steadfast growth in right living. They published the first reading/literacy magazines for young readers of all ages (Babyland; Our Pansy; Little Men and Women; Wide Awake=oldest readers).

Mrs. Lothrop continued her writing at The Wayside. Even after the death of Daniel, she continued to bring together those whose values and traditions were organized for future generations (Daughters of the American Revolution; Sons of the American Revolution; National Society for Children of the American Revolution). Her continued gathering of that which needed to be "taken care of" for the generations were many homes, meeting places, and sights of the Concord Revolution history. For me, it was the stories of the Five Little Peppers! May these authors never be forgotten. History is not perfect... but those that have walked before us lived and died for us to learn how to be the leaders of true freedom.

Meet the Author:

  "Margaret Sidney," as hostess reigns well, and exhibits one secret of her success in the writing of books…she puts aside her own personality and throws her whole heart into whatever interests those around her. It is impossible to forget this when talking to her, and the delightful atmosphere…was due largely to this influence. - Boston Evening Transcript, 1887

Harriett M. Stone was born on June 22, 1844 in New Haven, Connecticut. Although her life spanned more than half of the 19th century, we know little about her until the 1880s when her "Five Little Peppers and How They Grew" appeared in Wide Awake, a children's magazine, and she met and married its publisher, Daniel Lothrop.

Together they bought Hawthorne's home, The Wayside in Concord, Massachusetts in 1883.From that time on, her boundless energy and sunny disposition was seen in all that she undertook –raising her daughter Margaret who was born at The Wayside in 1884, writing for children under the pen name Margaret Sidney, founding the National Society Children of the American Revolution in 1895, saving historic houses, and celebrating with grand fetes the rich heritage of The Wayside and the people who lived there.

2020 Favorite Reads

 
Perfect reads for giving...

 Terri Blackstock ISBN: 9780310332596  Mystery/Suspense

As if things couldn't get any worse for Brenna, now the man convicted of murdering her father is released. Coping with all things changing is not one of her strengths. Back in the day, she had hope. Now, well what would you do when the man you once loved moves in across the street? 

Nothing seems real for Brenna, her ex-husband is remarried and using his money to gain custody of her children, the pardon of her father's murderer means he is returning to their town, plus his son has just moved in across the street... what would any sane person do? Trust! But who? Could Nate be the one that will keep her sane while she uncovers the truths from fourteen years ago?

This was definitely a well crafted page turner. As you are turning the pages (often late into the night), you realize that "rooting" for Brenna is like trying to hold onto a snowflake.

 Abigail Wilson ISBN: 9780785223665 Suspense/Romance

Sybil arrives at Croft Towers, an English Countryside, after a highwayman endeavors to waylay her journey to her new post. Upon arrival, Sybil not only encounters the strangest acting members of Mrs. Chalcroft's family... including the man that she recognizes as "he" who held her at gunpoint!

A most endearing storyline begins to "stitch" together mysterious messages, unnerving behaviors, misleading assumptions, and of course a unwanted romance. Dialogue will entice you to speak to the characters while the plot unfolds with smugglers, murderers, and spies. Who will Sybil trust at Croft Towers? Why did Mrs. Chalcroft request her for this post? Is Mr. Sinclair's double life trustworthy?

 Rachel McMillan ISBN: 9780785216964 Historical Fiction/Mystery

This is the second of the Van Buren and DeLuca mysteries set in the 1940's. What an interesting and very "lively" time in our history.

Having left her "elite" upbringing behind, Reggie has landed in Boston and has begun working for Hamish DeLuca. With one investigation closed, Reggie finds herself using her newly found "sleuthing" talents to keep DeLuca from death. Is she ready to take on their current investigation with her own wit and semi-strength? Especially when "there is never a good time to drown."

Hamish is still processing many of the unanswered questions that his cousin left behind from the previous nightclub murder. Now that there is a developer seeking to purchase some land, Hamish isn't necessarily on "alert" when Reggie leaves to investigate the Fiske Wharf site with their newest client. Yet, something isn't right about this new case. Will Hamish "refocus" his nerves in time to unravel what is really taking place or will he endanger Reggie and face death?

The delight with this novel is found in the historical settings, fashions, sounds, and "mob-ish" quality of the 40's. For those moments when a reader needs a break into a lively "entertaining" read... this is a great choice!

 Siri Mitchell ISBN: 9780785228615 Mystery/Political Thriller/Espionage

Georgie Brennan will be stretched even beyond her grief. Just who was her husband, Sean? There is no way she can remain focused at her position as a physicist. Sam, her son, is desperately trying to be strong now that her husband has been killed by a "hit-and-run" driver. Georgie knows that Sean was on a run to get something for the plumbing, or was he?

The "get-down-and-get dirty" steps forward in grief becomes a distraction for Georgie. When certain elements of her "new" daily life intensifies, Georgie becomes suspicious about the claims as to Sean's fatal accident. Was there something that Sean had been dishonest about even from the beginning? What do you do if those you trust have the most "dangerous" secrets? Why did Sean play a "hide-and-seek" game with Sam? What is causing their dog to behave so strangely around their house? What is Sean's journal saying? 

This late night, page-turner, will "kick-start" your heart. There are plenty of deceiving characters, a distrusting mind game, and more than enough loose ends to satisfy any book-chair detective!

  Colleen Coble ISBN: 9780718085889 Mystery/Romance (Stand Alone Novel)

Harper Taylor might have had an unhappy childhood, but once Oliver Jackson mentors her and gets her career as a marine biologist started she finds a daily life that feels safe and secure. Until that day when on a dive...

Ridge Jackson has never cared about knowing who Harper Taylor is. His distrust of her relationship with his father has left only doubts, distrust, and distance between him and his father. Animosity, was the only thing he felt for his father and Harper, until...

Annabelle Rice had no idea why Harper wanted to meet with her, what was this all about? Why, after all of these years, would someone be interested in her mother and her mysterious death?

This novel is crafted as two different time sequences. The plot is interwoven with the birth of one child, mysterious deaths, DNA investigations, Weeki Wachee mermaids, drug smuggling, and relationships that build into a cherished beginning.

Perfect for Holiday gifts... And Winter nights!

"I received these books from the Fiction Guild for this review."

Chosen People by Robert Whitlow

Robert Whitlow

ISBN: 9780718083045

Publisher's Synopsis:

During a terrorist attack near the Western Wall in Jerusalem, a courageous mother sacrifices her life to save her four-year-old daughter, leaving behind a grieving husband and a motherless child.

Hana Abboud, a Christian Arab Israeli lawyer trained at Hebrew University, typically uses her language skills to represent international clients for an Atlanta law firm. When her boss is contacted by Jakob Brodsky, a young Jewish lawyer pursuing a lawsuit on behalf of the woman’s family under the US Anti-Terrorism laws, he calls on Hana’s expertise to take point on the case. After careful prayer, she joins forces with Jakob, and they quickly realize the need to bring in a third member for their team, an Arab investigator named Daud Hasan, based in Israel.

To unravel the case, this team of investigators travels from the streets of Atlanta to the alleys of Jerusalem, a world where hidden motives thrive, the risk of death is real, and the search for truth has many faces. What they uncover will forever change their understanding of justice, heritage, and what it means to be chosen for a greater purpose.

"To walk with the Almighty all the days of your life."

MrsK's Review:
Jerusalem, welcoming to visitors... or dangerous?
Hannah, a scriptural name. A chosen name. When she was young, her uncle Anwar had spoken a blessing over her... Today, Hana works for a law firm in Atlanta. With her language skills, background, and as an international lawyer she is chosen to lead an investigation into what might be an international terrorist killing.

Contracted by Jakob Brodsky, Hana quickly realizes that this case will need someone living in Israel. In today's world, getting information will mean having someone with connections, as well as someone that will provide protection while opening doors to what really took place. Like Jakob's father, Jakob had a fierce determination for freedom and for pursuing cases until the truth was revealed. After hearing Ben Neumann's reasons to want to know if his wife's murder and daughter's disfigurement was an act of its own making or supported by others. Jakob knew he would be seeking help in this investigation. Ben wanted to help other families to have a voice against terrorists. Jakob knew nothing about this case would be considered easy and everything about this case would mean that finding truth would become an endangerment that would require all of the strength, support, and trust in the other investigators.

Hana also recognizes the moment that she would be committed to this investigation. The truth had to be uncovered for Sadie, this case had to be revealed and resolved. For Sadie had a smile of an "overcomer," which ushered in the peace-filled determination for Sadie to fight for this little survivor. What Hana isn't prepared for is all of the false leads, lethal alleys, nor the emotional strain of going home to a land that had become so deceiving. Would she be able to trust either Jakob or Daud?

Although Daud Hasan was an Arab, he knew technology... and he was the one trained in all areas of the Middle East. He would be the man that could guarantee protection. For Hana, he would be the one who appears to be a traitor.

Have you ever stepped out in faith into a situation that had to begin with a prayer of protection, plus an added mixture of strength, guidance, and trust? The rest of this story is action packed and every character is ingrained in a truth that would create the empowered vs. those seeking a wicked control. Expect at least one sleepless night...
MrsK 

Terrorism is based on belief, not ethnicity!"

 A chilling story that could be played out

anywhere in today's US or abroad!

Meet the Author:

  Robert Whitlow is the best-selling author of legal novels set in the South and winner of the prestigious Christy Award for Contemporary Fiction. A Furman University graduate, Whitlow received his J.D. with honors from the University of Georgia School of Law where he served on the staff of the Georgia Law Review. A practicing attorney, Whitlow and his wife, Kathy, have four children. They make their home in North Carolina. 

"I received this book from the Fiction Guild for this review."

Secrets at Cedar Cabin by Colleen Coble

Colleen Coble

ISBN: 9780718085841

Publishers Synopsis:

Running for her life in the wake of her mother’s murder, Bailey Fleming escapes to the only place she can think of—a remote, dilapidated cabin in Lavender Tides. Intending to finally get to the truth behind the lies of her past, Bailey only finds more questions when bodies are discovered near her cabin hideout along with traces of a dangerous human trafficking ring. In an unlikely partnership with FBI agent Lance Phoenix, Bailey races to understand the mystery surrounding her life and circumstances before the murderer tracks her down.

Meanwhile, Lance is determined to rescue his sister, Ava, who was abducted after running away from home as a teenager. An unexpected lead brings him to the remote cabin, and he wonders if Bailey—with her suspicious past and strange connections to his sister’s case—is really who she claims to be and if she can somehow lead him to Ava.

"Bailey opened the burgundy cover and glanced at the first picture.

She blinked as she struggled to take in the reality of the photo..."

MrsK's Review:

Bailey Fleming enjoyed working with the elderly. To Bailey, those she served were her family members she had always wanted. Loving and caring for them came naturally. When one revelation leads to another, Bailey is forced to run for her life. Every step forward becomes twisted by deceivers. Doubt becomes fear, and fear becomes a strength that leads Bailey to a cross roads of possibilities or death.

Kyle Bearcroft should have been Bailey's prince charming. The truth became clear once Bailey discovered that he was a bigamist. With determination, Bailey decides to move beyond her illegal marriage to Kyle. Yet, Kyle is driven to control Bailey for reasons that Bailey could never have known.

Lance Phoenix might be a FBI agent, but right now he is driven in his desire to get and take down the lead sex-trafficker in the Pacific Northwest. Every life mattered, yet Lance has a special agenda. Ava had to be found! 

Even though King "feels a little inconspicuous" in Seattle, he must find out where Bailey is hiding. He knows that she is a "loose canon." One that he should have taken care of. 

Lily lives close by to the cabin that her father built in 1936. Given the troubles with her health, ability to take care of herself, and a memory that floats in and out, Bailey decides to watch over her. Maybe this new life will help her overcome the nightmares of being on the run.

Expertly woven are many of the previous characters from the first two books in this series. New threads are attached to the mysterious tapestry that was begun in Lavendar Tides. As with any seasonal change, these novels will provide page-turning adventures before the holidays arrive.
MrsK

Will Bailey bring an end to this saga?

A consuming, unraveling legal thriller!

    

Lavendar Tides Series

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.

"I received this book from the Fiction Guild for this review."

Tell Her No Lies by Kelly Irvin

Kelly Irvin

ISBN: 9780785223115

Publisher's Synopsis:

As children, Nina Fischer and her sister were plucked from foster care in Florida and brought to Texas by a wealthy uncle they’d never met after their mother went to prison for selling drugs. Now, as an adult, Nina loves her adopted father and wants to please him, but she’s chosen her own career path as a photographer and poet—choices state district court judge Geoffrey Fischer can’t appreciate. When she finds him murdered in his study on a night they’re home alone, she’s the prime suspect and has to prove her innocence or face her own prison term. Is she her mother’s daughter, after all?

The two men in her life want to help, each for their own reasons. Can she trust her on-again, off-again boyfriend, attorney Rick Zavala, whose political aspirations seem more important than Nina’s tragic loss? Can she trust her friend, photographer Aaron McClure, or will he use their friendship to break the biggest news story of his career?

While cleaning out her father’s things, Nina discovers a box of old letters and photos, revealing the secrets her father had been concealing for so long. When her biological mother makes an appearance at Geoffrey Fischer’s funeral and asks to be welcomed back into her daughters’ lives, Nina is even more determined to find the truth about her past. Following the evidence leads her on a journey of discovery about her father’s shocking masquerade as a law-abiding, family-loving Christian. Unlocking these secrets could prove deadly, but it’s the only way Nina will ever be able to trust love again.

"Every judge has supporters and detractors."

MrsK's Review:

Nina is in her lab developing her latest photos completely unaware of how her life was being changed. After turning down Rick's invitation to a party, Nina ventures downstairs. That is when her "unexpected" reality began to shift. Sirens signaled that help was coming, yet the help Nina will need won't be easily accessed. 

Rick is all consumed with lining up his supporters for his state representative campaign. Nina is the one person that can help him attain his future. To what lengths will he be willing to involve Nina now that the Judge has been killed? 

Aaron and Nina have been close friends since their university days. He just might be the only person she knows that isn't connected to Nina because of her "well-connected" roots. Aaron must do his job as a photo journalist, even though Nina and her family are involved in the investigation of the Judge's death. To what extreme will Aaron agree to help Nina? The stakes are high, "personally and professionally." 

King is the investigator that just doesn't quit. His technique is to seek truth with all of the anxiety he can create. Why is it that every time a lead begins unraveling, someone dies? He's good at his job, there's only one question remaining... can he keep Nina alive long enough to prosecute?

Secrets have a tendency to become "unveiled" once a death occurs. Secrets can be a source of self-evaluation or complete destruction. When faced with the truths about the Judge, her mother, her siblings, and then all the targeted deaths during the investigation... Nina must dig deep within her character to locate the grit to persevere. 

A true crime unfolds when the clues are as small as a grain of sand. With anxiety, frustration, and more than enough trips for comfort food... this novel will lead you to late night page turning!
MrsK

"Chin up!"

"Fischer's don't lie."

Just how far can a reconnaissance plan go?

Meet the Author:

  Tell Her No Lies is Kelly Irvin's latest foray into romantic suspense. It debuts in November 2018. Kelly's newest Amish romance series, Every Amish Season, includes Upon A Spring Breeze, Beneath the Summer Sun, and the latest release, Through the Autumn Air from Zondervan/HarperCollins Christian Publishing. This follows the Amish of Bee County series, The Saddle Maker's Son, released in June 2016. It is an ECPA bestseller. It follows The Bishop's Son, and the critically acclaimed bestseller, The Beekeeper's Son, which earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly. The reviewer called it "a beautifully woven masterpiece." The Beekeeper's Son was a finalist in the romance category of the 2016 ACFW Carol Awards Contest.

"I received this book from the Fiction Guild for this review."

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."